


Stories of Rapture

by Jennisms



Category: BioShock, BioShock 1 & 2 (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, One Shot Collection, Swearing, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 12:35:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 44,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16787065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jennisms/pseuds/Jennisms
Summary: The forgotten stories of the regular people of Rapture, during its creation, it's golden age, and it's inevitable collapse.





	1. Alan Bentley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When I think of how things used to be... what the city used to be. It's a crime. I came to Rapture to find a better life for myself, my wife, and my son. But damn. Who would have known? People are losing their minds. The people of Rapture are gettin' pissed, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. What the hell am I supposed to do?"
> 
> -Alan Bentley

Alan sat at his desk, staring blankly at the ceiling. He ran his hand threw his hair and sighed looking out the window. Outside things were buzzing, people living their lives uninterested in the truth. Most people really didn't have any idea of how fragile Rapture really was. But for Alan, the signs were everywhere. They were inescapable.

_Fucking ADAM, plasmids, that's where everything went wrong... anyone can see it, just by looking at someone's face. Just by that look in their eyes. The eyes of an addict; a splicer. And it ain't no coincidence that people who splice go happen to go crazy. I can’t believe no one guessed that altering your DNA repeatedly would be a horrible idea. For the average John and Mary livin' in the more peaceful places of Rapture you might not notice. But all the signs were there. So many people are dying. Suicides, murder..._

"Alan." He turned to see his wife standing in the door way. "Dinners ready."

Looking at her now, Alan could barely believe she was the same person. Her hair was tangled, and turning grey, her face was so thin, and pale with bags under her eyes. "I'll be there in a minute Lynn, just gonna finish this."

She smiled and nodded turning for the kitchen.

God he could see the changes in her. It didn't matter how much makeup she used to hide it, she was splicing again.

But what could he do? What should he say? Last time he tried talking to her about it she went berserk, it took him hours to calm her down. And if that weren't enough Alan had no idea how it would affect the baby that was on the way. And where the hell was she getting the ADAM?

He took a swig of whiskey and started to scribble down his report, then when he finished he headed for the dining room. There wasn't much, not a surprise, but it was enough for the three of them. For now. Chris was moving around his food with a frown on his face. Lynn was quietly eating, not looking at Alan.

"Hey dad can we go to Arcadia?" Alan glanced at Chris and shook his head. "Sorry Chris, not today."

Alan tried not to look at his son's disappointed face. "When can we go?"

"Maybe next week..." What a lie, same one he told last week. "Now finish your food."

When Alan finished his dinner, Lynn grabbed his coat and camera case.

"Alan, while you're out could you try to go to the Farmers Market?"

He nodded. "Alright." He kissed Lynn on the cheek then headed out the door.

"I'll be back in a few hours, Chris keep this door locked."

"Okay." Groaned Chris.

"I mean it Chris."

"Okay!"

As soon as he'd left the house and locked the door, he felt the weight lift off his shoulders. He could finally breathe again. He walked away to the nearest bench and started to smoke. Lately he was spending more time here, and less at home, he knew he was just running away from his problems, but he was just a man, how can he stop what's already in motion. After about thirty minutes he went to the nearest telephone and called in.

"What!" Great the boss was irritated.

"Hey it's me."

"And where the hell have you been? You should be here ten minutes ago! Whatever, there's a party happenin' at Fort Frolic, now get your ass over there!"

"Right, right."

Despite the never-ending crap that this city is constantly spewing people still went to Fort Frolic, mainly people who still had an extra buck to spend. Mainly the filthy rich or the art freaks.

_And oh what a freak I get to meet. It ain't no big secret that Mr. Sander Cohen is a crazy bastard. Suspicious as hell and prone to wild outbursts. Talk to him in formal settin's he may be a normal, stuffed shirt artist, but I know Cohen's one crazed son-of-a-bitch. Back when that dame Culpepper wrote that song 'Ryan's Songbird' Cohen went ballistic sendin' us messages about how we were crazy for devotin' columns to her and how she was... well, never mind..._

As soon as Alan reached the Atrium, he wished he was somewhere else. "Mr. Cohen?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"I'm with Rapture Standard, I'm here to ..."

"Yes, yes, where WERE you I've been waiting here for almost an hour!"

_You couldn't of been waiting more than thirty- two minutes you ass._

"Sorry 'bout that sir, now would you mind tellin' me 'bout your new gallery?"

Cohen took the subject better then Alan would have wanted; the man wouldn't shut up.

And while Alan did like a few of Cohen works, he didn't understand why anyone gave a shit or why he was still interviewing creeps like this, maybe just to help the citizens of Rapture believe things are still holding together.

_Ignorance is bliss... too bad you'd have to be livin' under a rock not to notice..._

After what seemed like an eternity Cohen finally finished.

"Well thank you for your time Mr. Cohen." He murmured as he scribbled down the last bit of information and grabbed his camera. "Would you mind if I get a picture?"

He nodded, and Alan took a few pictures of Cohen and the gallery.

"So, what was your name again?" Cohen asked as Alan snapped another photo.

"Alan Bentley."

"So, Alan, tell me what do you think of my art?"

"I'm afraid I don't know much about art sir." His tone was less interested then he'd wanted.

Alan may have just imagined it, but he could have sworn there was a twitch... a sort of visible crack that flashed across Cohen's face. And a moment later, it was gone. Now extremely uncomfortable, he collected his tools and nodded to Cohen. "Thank you for your time sir." Alan quickly made his way from the artist, but felt his eyes burning into his back.

While heading out Alan spotted a few dollars on the ground. Picking it up, he looked over to the slot machines. He cursed himself for being weak willed. He slipped it into one of the slot machines and halfheartedly pulled the lever.

_Apple... apple... damn!_

Tired and now annoyed, Alan headed to the Farmers Market. He could still remember when he took Chris to Arcadia for the first time... it was about four years ago. It was his birthday and they were heading for the Farmers Market. And for a present Alan took Chris to Arcadia. Alan could hardly believe how shocked the boy looked when he saw the trees. They spend hours just walking around. It almost seemed like a dream now. Lynn was pissed at first, but she changed her tune when she saw how happy Chris was.

_Isn't Chris's birthday comin' up? Shit._

Alan found Robert, a friend of his since he came to Rapture. He owned a store in the Farmers Market.

"Well well hey there Alan."

"Hey Robert... l-listen, I hate to ask you but..."

Robert shook his head. "Sorry man, no handouts."

"You know I'm good for it!"

Robert sighed, "I know you are Alan, but things are tough."

Alan. "Look," He pulled out all the money he had on him "This is all I got, please."

Robert scratched his head, then nodded, "Alright, but I NEED you to pay me back by Monday."

Alan nodded and shook his friend's hand. "I will, I will!"

Robert handed the food over to Alan, and as Alan turned to leave Robert grabbed his arm.

"Hey, uh..."

"What's wrong?"

Robert looked a bit uncomfortable. "Hey, you an yer wife got a kid on the way, so I think you should consider it."

Alan stared thoughtfully at his friend. "Consider what?"

"You know, gettin' some ADAM, n' some plasmids."

Alan shook his friend off. "Forget it."

Robert stepped in front of him. "Listen, I know you've never been into the whole deal, but they might be the only way you can defend yourself."

"Defend myself?"

Robert nervously looked around, "You know against Fontaine and Ryan's splicers. They both keep splicin' up their men, gettin' them stronger, and an addict... you never know what a man would do for a bit o' ADAM."

Alan looked away and started to go. "Look just THINK about it."

"Thanks again Robert."

Before heading home, Alan turned in the interview, and pictures from Fort Frolic to his boss.

Then took the long way home…

What he found there changed everything.

Alan returned to find the front door open, and inside the house had been ripped apart, all their possessions broken and scattered all over the house, but that wasn't what he was thinking of. He ran into his home, searching for his family. He found Chris first. Someone had beaten him down leaving his crumpled body in his room. Alan picked up the body unable to accept the reality.

For months Alan lived in a state of total devastation. Blaming himself, cursing his existence. How did it happen? How? Why? Alan began to dig into the events before the murder of his family...

It was Lynn, trying to feed her addiction she'd messed with the wrong people, done something to piss someone off... that someone, was Frank Fontaine.

Fontaine... it always came back to Fontaine. The Little Sisters, ADAM, Plasmids... Raptures downfall, his family... it was all because of HIM. He wouldn't let him get away with what he'd done.

Three years Alan spent learning all he could about Fontaine. Three years Alan spent bribing and struggling in hopes to get back at Fontaine. Luckily Alan had made a few connections with a man working in the fisheries.

Robert would get some of his produce the smugglers working in the fisheries, and if they were lucky a man may spare some information for ADAM. But ADAM was getting harder and harder to get... But he wouldn't stop, he couldn't...

Alan spent the next few nights looking for the right houses. He found a young couple followed them around for a few nights, then when they left the house Alan broke in, searched the house, and scored fifty ADAM. He was able raid their house and get out in under five minutes.

Alan ran from the house as fast as he could, as far as he could. When he finally got to a secluded area he pulled off his mask, and collapsed on the ground in shock. For a moment he was filled with adrenaline, his heart pounding his hands shaking, he felt amazing! Then for a moment he was the man he was three years ago and was appalled, disgusted with himself. But he had the ADAM, this was it, he had him!

Alan reached Fort Frolic, if he could have seen himself he might not have recognized himself, his pale blond hair that was once short and untamed is now almost to his shoulders and was a tangled mess, his face that used to be clean shaven, now with a beard, and his eyes that once had held a sense of innocence and honesty, were now hollow and full of anger.

He headed over to where his Robert had said he would be, his heart was pounding, and his palms were sweating, taking long swigs of whiskey. This was it, what he had worked for. This was it!

He slid his hand into his pocket and felt the guns cold steel against his fingers. He felt more alive in this moment then he had in years.

Just as he entered Eves Garden he felt like he hit a wall, he fell to the ground bloody and disoriented, Alan heard some girls give a startled cry, he looked up and saw a huge man, who grabbed him by the hair, and over to the bar where sat the man who hadn't left his thoughts for three years Frank Fontaine.

"Well well, I was wonderin' when you'd show up." He had a thick Bronx accent. Through the blood dripping over his right eye he could see him pour himself a drink, smirking. It made Alan blood boil. "Alan Bentley ain't it? What's that look? You didn't exactly cover your tracks." He took a sip of his drink. "Now I'm gonna make this as clear as I can. You are a punk, and you can't touch me. And the only reason your still breathin' is 'cause I've been usin' you to... heh... flush out some rats." at this point he pulled out a folder and from it produced two pictures one was Robert this face bruised and bloody, and a rope around his neck, hanging from the ceiling in a freezer, the other was who Alan could only assume was their contact, shot several times. "Listen up kid, you're here for whatever reason, thinkin' you got nothin' to lose, well I got news for you kid, you got more than you think."

Then he pulled out another picture and tossed it to the ground. In it was a little girl, she looked about four years old she was filthy, but her eyes it what made Alan understand, the shape of her eyes, her face. She looked just like her mother.

"There now you get it. Now Alan, I could tell that guy behind you to break your neck, and I wouldn't lose any sleep over it, and you can bet that no one here would say a word. Now I'm only gonna say this once, if I ever catch you sneakin' 'round where you don't belong you and your girl are dead." And with that he dumped the last of the drink he had in Alan's face, the cut on his forehead now in searing pain. "Take him out and make sure he gets the message." Fontaine told his goons, as they began to drag him off, he reached out and gripped the picture of the girl, HIS girl.

When Alan regained consciousness, he was jammed in a stall in the men's bathroom, they had dragged him there and beaten him down, then left him there. He stumbled to the sink and started to clean himself up. His nose, forehead, and lower lip had been bleeding.

When he had wiped away all the blood, he realized he couldn't see out of his left eye, which has black, and horribly swelled, brown, purple and black bruising littered his face and threw examination his arms and stomach as well. After cleaning himself up and taking care of the cut on his forehead, he fell back into the stall and puked.

When he had cleaned up the blood on the floor, he pulled out from his pocket the picture of his daughter.

God, he had no idea, he had always thought that the baby had died with Lynn. And now...

What could he do? If he went after Fontaine... his girl would be... if he let it go now, she would live, but she would be a monster...

Fontaine thinks it's over; he thinks I'll just roll over and let him get his way? He's got another thing coming. If I can't get close to him in person, I'll find another way.

After his failed attempt to kill Fontaine he realized he would need firepower. It was no real secret that Fontaine and Ryan were at odds, the first thing he did was get close to Ryan's little army. Sullivan and his little security force. He got in by giving any information he had on Fontaine, it was long before he was able to 'join in' early in 1957 they were getting ready to 'apprehend' Fontaine. Alan could hardly breathe as he and the others headed for Fontaine.

But things didn't go as planned. When they reached Fontaine, they were met by heavy fire. Two men by Alan fell, he shot wildly, in the chaos of screams and gun fire Alan saw him: Fontaine. The bastard stood there, shooting a machine gun at Sullivan's men. Alan worked his way over to him, keeping under cover. Then he walked out.

And he shot

...

Fontaine was dead. Alan was alone, he felt at peace for the first time in ages. But he also felt ... empty. But Raptures problems weren't over, barely a few months after Fontaine was killed some rebel called Atlas showed up. Rapture was already one step into the grave. What would he do now? With the civil war is tearing the city apart. With Atlas vs Andrew Ryan turning the city inside out. In truth Alan didn't care anymore... not about them anyway...

Alan leaned back and sighed. He heard the footsteps coming up behind him, he thought nothing of them. He hadn't had a chance to defend himself when they attacked him and dragged him away.

Someone had decided that Alan was a loose end. And decided he needed to be taken care of. However, Alan didn't die, he was taken to a lab, he struggled and cursed them, he screamed and pleaded. But in the end, it was all no use.

He was transformed into something he could no longer comprehend.

His mind seemed to be in an eternal fog, the only thing clear was to take orders.

He was big now, everything about him felt big, he wasn't sure how long he'd been in this state, but he felt so... tired.

He spent a long time in a sort of fog; he'd forgotten who he was.

He was waiting in a lab, waiting for orders, for commands.

"Papa Suchong?"

"Get- get away!"

For a moment he could see her, he focused on her, her hair a mop of dark red, her eyes...

"Papa Suchong! Papa Suchong, Papa Suchong!"

"GET AWAY YOU FILTHY LITTLE SHIT!"

The man Alan vaguely recognized slapped her and she fell back her eyes swelled with tears, and he understood.

In a flash of anger and another emotion he could no longer recognize he charged. And with his right 'hand' he dug into the doctor's flesh, blood sprayed out as he slammed him into the desk. Pulling back, his 'hand' was stuck and with a bit of persuasion pulled it off.

The little girl, who had been crying looked up at him with uncertainty, he reached out his hand and cradled her face in his hand rubbed her head, for the first time. She smiled and took his hand. And as they walked off into the uncertain world that was Rapture, he could hear something from the back of his mind.

_As long as I have my girl..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a reposting of my Stories of Rapture stories that I originally posted on FF.net


	2. Holly Shore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's hopeless, I came to Rapture to BE somebody... I wanted to sing in front of Raptures finest and really show them all! It seems so... silly now. Besides, if my papa knew, he'd never forgive me."
> 
> -Holly Shore

Holly stood in the Atrium at Fort Frolic, drinking in the view. The neon signs and the decorations made the already beautiful sight seem gorgeous. People wandered all around the hall wearing decorated masks the resembled birds, rabbits, or cats. Holly wore her finest dress for this party, and around her neck a string of real pearls passed down from her mother.

A tall man walked over and tapped her shoulder. "Evenin' Miss."

She smiled. "Good Evening." He had black hair, and gorgeous blue eyes.

"So what lucky man will be accompanying you tonight?" He asked.

"Afraid I'm all alone tonight."

He smiled at her. "Well in that case how about I-"

She was enjoying the little back and forth when she saw a man that made her blood run cold. "Papa!"

Her father had just walked into the Atrium, his blond hair slicked back, he was wearing a fancy tux and looking irritated.

She shook the man's hand. "S-sorry I- I have to go!"

She took off leaving the man bewildered. "Wait!"

Holly ran from the Atrium and headed for Fleet Hall. When she noticed people starting to stare at her she tried to move as quickly as she could without drawing attention to herself. She could hear the show that was now playing in the fleet hall. She paid the men at the front and slid in to watch the show. She tried to sneak to the back and lie low.

_What is he doing here, why! Papa HATES parties! Does he know I'm here! No, no calm down... just watch the show._

The show was HAPPY CHAPPY by Sander Cohen. Holly knew that name well. It was one of the biggest names in Rapture. Saner Cohen is an artist, an artist handpicked by the man who made Rapture: Andrew Ryan. Her mother was a fan of his artwork, while her father - he'd called him a hack. Personally, Holly liked his work, and she was enjoying the show...

_My papa, why did he always have to ruin everything! When he wasn't gone off to talk with his friends about Andrew Ryan's corrupt whatever, he spent most of his time lecturing me about, everything._

Holly never paid too much attention to the man anymore. Not since her mother has passed. Truth be told they hadn't ever really gotten along before she died, but after he just became absolutely unbearable!

A laugh erupted from the crowd.

W _ait, what did he say?_

Holly tried to forget about her father and focus on the show until her father walked into the room.

Cursing the world Holly looked around desperately and on the ledge she saw a rabbit mask, just lying there. She reached up carefully and grabbed it slipping it over her face. The man didn't notice so she calmly made her was out of the fleet hall.

"How am I supposed to have a good time if I'm always running from my father!" She grumbled.

She slipped into the bathroom and fixed her hair, carefully applied some lipstick, and straightened the mask she'd... borrowed...

Holly stepped out of the ladies’ room scanning the room for her father.

Satisfied that he wasn't there she walked into the Atrium once again. People were chatting about the usual things spoken about at such occasions, small talk that no one really remembers later that afternoon, when the brandy was gone, and the dances were over

"Hello again." Holly turned to see the man from before. "It's wonderful to see you again."

"You too." She replied with a playful smirk.

"I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name." She smiled at his question.

"That's because I didn't give it to you, and isn't it proper for someone to give their own name before asking for someone else?"

He laughed, "Its Brendon Riles, so now you are...?"

"Holly, Holly Anna Shore. Pleased to meet you Brendon."

She and Brendon spent the night together, talking, shopping, and dancing.

Brendon wanted to be an artist, he showed Holly some on his work, and she thought it was wonderful, but he seemed to think she was just being nice. She spent some time trying to convince him, but it didn't do much good.

"So, what do you want to do?"

Holly swallowed and turned from him. "Oh, it's silly."

"Come on what?"

She took a deep breath. "Well, I wanna be a singer."

Brendon smiled. "Really?"

Holly sighed. "Sounds silly doesn't it."

Brendon shook his head. "Naw, I don't think so, but what's stoppin' you?"

"Huh?"

He shrugged. "You know, why not go for it?"

"Well, what if I'm not good enough?" Holy asked tilting her head.

"You'll never know if you don't try."

Holly stared at the ceiling. "Well, it's not just that..."

"Well, what is it?"

Holly took off her mask for a moment tracing the eyes with her finger. "Well, it's my papa; he hates that sort of thing. He says that the singers in Rapture, you know, the woman 'n all are sluts. If I tried, he'd go ballistic..."

Brendon gave her confused look. "That's a bit overdoing it ain't it?"

Holly shrugged. "Maybe..."

Brendon gave her a thoughtful look, then smiled and took her hand. "Come on."

"Wh-what?"

"Trust me!" Brendon lead her to the Atrium, a band was playing on the stage, Brendon went up to them, and whispered something to them, they nodded.

"Sing."

Holly stared at him in shock. "What?"

"I know the band and they're willin' to play for you!"

"But I don't know what to sing!"

Brendon squeezed her hand to reassure her. "Just pick a song you know, you'll do great."

Holly looked into Brendon's face, and smiled. "All right."

After some time picking songs they finally picked 'Bei Mir Bist du Schön'

Holly took a moment to gather her courage then sang in public for the first time, her heart was pounding in her ears the whole time, and she found herself more focused on finishing the song rather than checking to see if she was getting the notes right. By the time the song was done she felt so light headed she thought she might faint. But then she heard the applause. It filled the Atrium and gave Holly a wonderful feeling in her chest.

She sang a few more songs then thanked the band, jumped off the stage, and over to Brendon where she gave him a nice, long kiss.

Holly smiled, "Thank you."

He chuckled, "Thank you."

After a while spending time together, Holly realized how late it was.

"I've got to go..."

He nodded. "I guess... If you have to."

"But I do want to see you again!"

He smiled. "When, where?"

She found pen and wrote on his hand Poseidon Plaza, Rapture Records Thurs 6 "There can you remember that."

He smiled. "Think so." Then he kissed her. After a few wonderful moments he pulled back. "See you then."

She smiled and reluctantly started to head out... most of the people were gone, only a few couples and drunks remained.

Walking in a daze she was surprised to see her father and… Sander Cohen? He was leading him into 'Cohen's Collection'.

Holly carefully followed them into the gallery, when she entered, she could hear her father.

"Are you finally going to tell me what the hell did you call me here for? I have better things to do then speak to a man like you."

"That's very interesting comin' from a man like you Mr. Shore." Wait, that wasn't Cohen, who was that?

"What? Sullivan? What... oh I see..."

The man Sullivan laughed. "I'm surprised you actually came, and alone at that."

"And I'm surprised both of you are on Andrew Ryan's pay roll. Well you won't get anything from me."

"We'll see, now why don't you just come along quietly, or you can just spill what you got on Fontaine here and now."

It was then that Holly heard a loud roar of flame, and Cohen screaming. "What are you doing!"

Holly ran out to see the scene; her father's hand was red hot and flames were licking up arm, "Papa!"

Now that Holly was in the room, she could see that there were three other men besides Cohen, Sullivan, and Holly's father. All armed.

All eyes turned to her and the last thing Holly saw was he father looking back at her in horror, and the three other men opening fire on the both of them.

* * *

Sullivan cursed and shook his head, it wasn't supposed to be like this, Shore wasn't supposed to cause a ruckus, and his kid wasn't supposed to be there. He'd done a lot of things he wasn't proud of, and this wasn't the worst, but he wasn't sure how much more of this he was willing to take.

Cohen was cursing up a storm over a painting that had been caught in the crossfire; like he didn't even see the bodies of Shore and his girl.

He had run in front of her and taken most of the hits, but both of them... when she came out, they thought she might have been one of Fontaine's thugs. They had already killed them both when they realized it was only an unarmed girl, probably not even eighteen years old...

Cohen finally looked down at the bodies. "What a mess." Then Cohen looked over a little ways from them and saw the mask the girl had been wearing that had fallen off when she hit the floor. "Ah! I was wondering where this went." he proclaimed wiping some blood off the mask with a handkerchief. He then turned to Sullivan. "Be sure to clean this up, the last thing I need are corpses stinking up my gallery." And with that he left, the bastard actually whistled while strolling away.


	3. Nichole Mersnick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When you reach that point in your life where you must make a decision that changes the rest of your life, you can never know how it will change your life. Whether it be for the better or for the worse..."
> 
> -Nichole Mersnick

Nichole stood in her parent's old house. It had been barely a year since she had once called this place home. Now it was a hollow reminder of her loss.

Her parents had died in an accident barely a month ago. All their belongings now where hers, but she didn't want them. She would keep a few sentimental things, such as her mother's favorite books, and her flute, her father's pipe and cane, the bell that they had hung from the ceiling in the living room, which her father once had lifted her up to pull on the bell with her small hands, and a few photos. Most of the rooms had been cleaned out; the last room was her parent's room. She dreaded entering it, but eventually she did.

As soon as she entered, she smelled tobacco, and her mother's perfume. The room was especially tidy; her father had always been a bit obsessive about keeping thing tidy, her mother had always said it was because he was in the army for so long. That is until his leg was wounded and he was forced to retire, he could still live a normal life, though he could barely walk without his cane.

She walked over to her mother's desk, scanning over the little knickknacks. She straightened the cloth on the table, checked the jewelry box, and then she noticed a letter.

Nichole picked it up to see it was already open.

She pulled out the letter and began to read.

**Albert Mersnick, I don't suppose you would remember me, but I remember you. I have decided to abandon this corrupt world before it destroys itself. Before the parasites stole your fathers business and fortune you had great potential, and what you have now you scrapped together with your own hands through your career in the US military. I remember that you and I shared many beliefs, and I would like for you to join me and would be a perfect addition to my Utopia.**

**On the 1st of November a boat will be ready in New York to take you and your family to a place where mankind will reach its fullest potential. Where the parasites of religion, and government will not restrain the great. I look forward to meeting with you there.**

**Andrew Ryan.**

A _ndrew Ryan? What in the world?_

Nichole folded the letter and slipped it into her purse, collected the last few possessions, then left the house for good.

That night Nichole couldn't sleep, she kept thinking about the letter, and her parents. He wanted them to go to some sort of Utopia... a place where they would be free of 'parasites'. Nichole remembered her mother telling her that her father's family took his father's company from him. Her father never talked about it. If he saw Andrew Ryan's letter, he would have jumped at the chance to leave.

Nichole thought about it. What would she do? Did she want to go to some Utopia where mankind would reach it's 'true potential'?

_It's not like I have any reason to stay..._

Nichole went to her phone and dialed. She waited... and no answer, again!

She slammed the phone down. "Dammit Joey!"

_Why? Why won't he answer my calls! Ever since he found out..._

She sat down, letting out a small sob. She cooked some dinner for herself and ate alone again. She had tried to reach Joey for days. But he wouldn't answer her calls. Had she done something wrong? Was it something she said? What was she going to do?

Nichole scanned the letter again. According to the letter she still had a week to decide. But it would take two days to make it to New York, so five days to choose.

She could start a new life. In a place far kinder than this one. One where there were no regrets, no dead parents, no back-stabbing fiancée...

Maybe it's a good idea, she could do it! But... she still had to try to settle things with Joey. Maybe if things worked out, they could go together.

Joey felt lower then dirt, but he couldn't face her. He couldn't. He didn't deserve her in the first place, and now... what did he know about being a parent?

He didn't know how to be a dad, or a provider. Even more so he refused to be like his good-for-nothing father. He couldn't go see her until he was the man she deserved. But how the hell was he supposed to do that?

Joey rolled around in his bed, unable to sleep, when he was called up.

"Yeah?"

"Hey Joey, the lights are out on a few rooms on the second floor, need you to check the wires for me."

He internally groaned, pushing himself out of bed. "Right, sir."

Joey worked as the mechanic at a half ass motel, the pay was shit, but it was better than being out of work.

Joey made his way to the second floor and spent the half hour listening to the ungrateful bastard bitch about the lights. He was more than happy to finish up and leave his room. When he was heading back for his room, some at the front desk called out to him. "Hey Joey! Your lady's been trying to reach you all day."

_Shit..._

The short middle-aged bastard smirked at Joey, "Aw what's wrong have a little 'fallin' out' with her? In that case I might just go bye and give her some REAL action!"

Joey's whole body grew tense; he slowly walked over to the man, snickering with his friends, when Joey punched him so hard, he flew back and over the reception desk, blood shooting out of his nose. Joey's fist was stinging, but not as much as that assholes face. Joey smirked at that thought.

Unfortunately for Joey his boss fired him the next day, saying he can't afford all these outbursts from him. Which happened too frequently as far as his boss was concerned.

_Great, fucking great Joey! You've lost your job, how the hell are you gonna last now! Damn you're just like him. A selfish, lazy, good-for-nothing bastard!_

Joey heard the phone ring in his apartment as he was packing up. He WANTED to answer it, but he just... he couldn't.

I _'m sorry Nichole. Please just be patient for me..._

Nichole hung up and let out a deep sigh. She'd stop by tomorrow. Everything will be fine, just like before.

The next day around four Nichole headed for Joey's work. She had spent three hours trying to find a dress that fit her now. She could still hide it but... she kept getting bigger, and now most of her good dresses didn't fit her anymore. She called a taxi and went to the motel where Joey worked. She gave the driver his money. "Please could you wait here for five minutes, I'll be right back."

The driver looked annoyed, but nodded, "All right, but in five minutes I'm gone."

Nichole quickly entered the motel and walked up to the reception desk. "Um excuse me could you call Joey for me?"

The man standing there just shook his head. "He don't work here no more."

Nichole stared at him for a moment. "Wh-what?"

He nodded. "Yeah, left this mornin'."

Nichole turned away and bit her thumbnail, then turned back to the man. "Did he leave you a number?"

He shook his head. "No, he didn't leave a number. Now unless you're planning on rentin' out a place, you better leave. I got customers to attend to."

Nichole left the motel, and got back in the cab, confused and now feeling more alone, and betrayed then any time in the weeks that he had started to ignore her. Now he just... left.

No number, no nothing... he left her.

She desperately tried to hold her tears until they reached her house. When they did finally get there? She quickly passed the money to the driver, too her receipt, and ran into her home, fell on her bad and started to sob uncontrollably.

It was a few hours later that she decided. She was going to New York. And with no time to spare she started to pack.

**Five Days Later**

Nichole looked back at her old home; she gave one last look around the house, then pulled out the letter. She stared at it for a good minute, before crumpling it up and throwing it against the wall, then stormed out of her house.

She walked down to the cab and went to the airport. She decided in the end to take a plane to New York, it would get her there faster and allow her a day or two of rest before heading out on the boat. For a second, she thought about Joey, but then completely dismissed him. She was leaving THIS life; it was time to start over...

Around six the same day Joey came to see Nichole, he was confused when he saw the house was dark. Reluctantly he knocked, but, nothing. He pulled out his key and entered the house and was devastated to find it empty. There was nothing.

"Nichole? NIKKI! NIKKI!... Nichole..." What had he done...?

That's when he saw it, a crumpled piece of paper on the floor, he read the letter with complete disbelief, but if that was where Nichole went...

He HAD to go. He couldn't just watch her go.

Joey ran to the bank and pulled out all the money he could and got on the first train he could to New York, he had two days to get there, he'd be cuttin' it close...

The next two days for Joey were a blur of stress and effort; he did everything he could to get to New York on time, when he ran out of money he snuck onto the train with some animals for the entire day. Needless to say, those days were the worst in his life... so far.

For Nichole, however time went by at a crawl, and gave her some time to really calm down and think. After all this was a HUGE decision. But most of her thoughts were about Joey, and how much she missed him. How much she would miss him...

Nichole reached the docks and spotted the boat she'd be taking to her new home, she took her suitcase to some men who brought it on board, she was about to climb the stairs when she heard a car horn blaring. She turned to see an old car speed over to the docks and stop. Out of it came Joey.

She stood on the docks completely blown away. "Joey?"

Joey ran up to her and began to ramble. "Nichole, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you feel like I was avoiding' you, I was just scared, I-I wasn't sure how to handle myself, and how I thought I could be n' how I wanted to be, b-but I love you Nikki, and I want to-"

Tears were streaming down Nichole's face, she ran to him and hugged him, then kissed him, never wanting to let go.

"S-so, what now Joey?"

Joey gave her a thoughtful look, and then glanced at the boat. "Well, we didn't come all this way 'fer nothin'." He smiled at her. "Let's go."

"You think we should?"

He nodded. "I got no family worth speakin' of here, and I just got fired, and blew my life savin's. Think startin' in a new place doesn't sound so bad."

She smiled. "All right."

Then hand in hand they walked onto the ship, and headed for their future, in Rapture...


	4. Katie Bastone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "My momma said I should go to Steinman, but I'm not sure if I'm comfortable going... but really, everyone does it. What could it hurt?"
> 
> -Katie Bastone

Katie took off her glasses and stared intently at her reflection, her fingers traced her nose and cheeks. She let out a frustrated sigh.

Ugly, she was just SO UGLY. Her nose was too big, and her face was so FAT.

She had always been pudgy, picked on for most of her life by her gorgeous sisters Anna and Abby. Now she was turning sixteen, the most important day of her life, but how could she enjoy it, especially after her best friend Lizzy came back from Steinman looking amazing. Although Katie couldn't help but feel like Lizzy had cheated.

I _mean... surgery? Isn't that a bit... extreme? And... dangerous?_

Lizzy just laughed at her and said she was just being silly but she still felt unsure about it.

It was then that her mother came into her bedroom.

"Katie, I know your birthday's not until Saturday, but I wanted to give you this."

Katie took the small slip of paper from her mother. "Dr. Steinman's cosmetic enhancement?"

She sighed. "Well Lizzy's operation got me thinkin'... I know you're always real unhappy with your looks, and if you want..."

Katie stared at the paper for a moment. "You want me to get surgery?"

"Baby I want you to do what'll make you happy. And after talking to Lizzy and her parents about Lizzy's operation I feel better about lettin' you go."

Katie looked back to her vanity mirror. Her mother sighed.

"Well it's up to you baby." Her mother came over kissed her goodnight then went to bed.

Surgery... Katie shuddered at the thought of lying unconscious on a cold table with a man she didn't know cut up her face... but couldn't help thinking about how pretty she'd look when she was done. She could be pretty. Prettier than her mother, prettier than her sisters and prettier than Lizzy.

She spent most of the night thinking about it. Then finally decided. After all, why shouldn't she have the chance to be beautiful?

After a few days her mother took her to the Medical Pavilion, and then left to go grab some things for New Year's tomorrow.

Katie sat and waited outside, thinking about how she'd look after the surgery, she'd make all the girls in her class jealous. She couldn't wait to see the look on her sisters faces.

Katie didn't notice herself drifting off, as soon she was asleep.

Katie woke up on the floor her head throbbing, her glasses were still on her face but broken, and she could barely see out of them, she could hear screaming all around her...

_Home... I gotta get home... Mama... where's my momma?_

She quickly hurried to the nearest exit... only to find it locked. Katie ran around desperately trying to find an exit but they had all been sealed. An announcement kept playing over and over about a lock down and how it was only temporary and to stay calm.

Katie was having hard time breathing, what was going on! What was happening...?

She tried to stop herself from crying, but found herself sobbing.

"Who's there?"

She jumped at the voice and froze in place. "Hello?"

A man was up on the balcony; Katie couldn't see his face but could make out that he was a doctor. "Are you all right?" He asked.

"Y-yes." She replied, and then shook her head. "No, no, what's going on."

"Riots all over Rapture, Atlas's bandits are wreaking havoc; we've sealed the Medical Pavilion until things calm down"

She nodded, absorbing the information.

"Miss, are you bleeding?"

Katie looked up at him and gave a questioning look.

"Your forehead, is it bleeding?"

Her hand went to her forehead, and she felt cool blood on her face, and when her hand grazed it, the shallow cut stung. "Yes. I am."

"Wait there, I'll be down in a moment."

Katie leaned against the wall, forcing herself to take deep breaths, trying to stay calm until the doctor made it to her.

_Riots... Oh please let Momma, Ann and Abby be all right. Please..._

She barely noticed when the doctor reached the room. "Now let me see that cut."

After some close inspection he gave a little sigh. "Nothing too serious, a health pack or two and it'll heal up. And the scar will be gone in two, three days at most."

She nodded. "Thank you."

She and the doctor found a health station and Katie felt much better, her head a little more clear.

This is when she got her first real good look at the doctor. "You're Dr. Steinman!"

He laughed at her surprised reaction. "Yes. And you're Katie Bastone aren't you?"

She nodded, now embarrassed.

"Well I'm sorry Miss Bastone, but it's probably not a good idea to start your operation until that wound has healed."

"O-oh... alright Mr. Steinman."

"So until the lock down is over you can wait here, it shouldn't be too long to force back the rabble."

"All right. Thank you."

The doctor walked away, headed for the surgical wing.

_What, is he going to do an operation? In the middle of a lock down?_

Katie pondered it for a moment, but then sat down, trying to relax. By this time it was quiet in the Medical Pavilion... Katie did see people around, but they didn't try to make any contact with her, usually. She sat there for hours... waiting, and waiting.

Katie was on something hard, she couldn't see anything, it was too dark, and when she tried to move she found she couldn't move her head, or arms, or legs. She tried calling for help but it was like the yell died in her throat and came out barely a whisper. That's when she saw him, a man, covered in blood, he stood beside her and from the corner of her eye she could see him pulling out all sorts of knives, caked with blood. He seemed to finally choose a knife that suited his fancy. Slowly the man brought it to her face. She was struggling and screaming.

"Now Katie, this is for your own good. And besides, isn't this what you wanted?" Then she felt the cold metal slice through her skin.

A blood curdling scream snapped Katie awake from her nightmare. Her hands went to her face, to find no cuts only the scar on her forehead like before. She let out a sigh of relief, and then sat up. She remembered the scream... was it just her dream? Or was someone in trouble?

For about five minutes Katie listed all the reasons she shouldn't go, but in the end she knew she had to. If someone was hurt she needed to go help.

Katie searched the area, but found nothing, she check upstairs, down stairs, the funeral home, even dental, but found nothing... then she headed for the surgical wing.

She headed down the tunnel, but was buying herself time. She struggled, but could make out schools of small silver fish passing by.

Then for a moment, she looked straight up and saw blackness. She thought about her home before they came to Rapture, or tried to... the only thing she could remember well was the sun. Katie wondered how many years it had been since she'd last seen it... so bright, and warm.

She shook her head and finally exited the tunnel. She looked around while turning a corner, everything looked fine, nothing strange... until she slid and fell.

"Ah!" Katie stood up and wiped off her hands on her skirt... and screamed at the realization that she had just fallen into a huge puddle of blood. Shaking trying not to touch herself with her bloody hands she hit the wall, and vomited. Katie was on her hands and knees trying to settle her stomach when she heard a woman's cry.

Katie looked around for a weapon, but found none. Still she headed in the direction of the sound, being as quiet as possible, and avoiding the blood.

As she walked down the hall it was eerily quiet. Then she heard the sound again coming, not from the room beyond but the room to her right, she slipped in and looked inside, squinting she moved closer to the figures that she saw, and did everything to keep from screaming.

A woman was tied to the operating chair as a doctor was cutting her. Katie could see the woman's wrists were bleeding from struggling against the ropes, and even more sickening, was the realization the man was operating on her while she was fully conscious!

"No!" The woman sobbed her body jerking. The doctor suddenly stabbed her! "For the last time STOP MOVING!"

_Steinman!_

Suddenly the woman started jerking and coughing up blood. "OH GOD HELP ME!" It was then Katie realized the woman had seen her!

Steinman turned around his outfit was covered in blood. "Miss Bastone...?"

Katie didn't wait, she ran as fast as she could out of that place, trying to ignore the screams of the woman, and Steinman.

"MISS BASTONE! COME BACK!"

She ran into a room and hid under a counter; shaking uncontrollably. After a few moments of silence she heard footsteps.

"Miss Bastone? Come out here... Katie? COME OUT KATIE!"

They seemed to be getting closer, and closer. And Katie could have sworn she heard him breathing, muttering to himself.

"Where is she goddess... I've lost her... where is she hiding? I have... goddess... we must find her... can't let her get away... we..."

The footsteps grew fainter, then disappeared altogether. Katie didn't move from that spot, she HAD to get help... She HAD to get out!

_Help me... momma, please, oh god! Help me, help me, please help me!_

Katie finally worked up the nerve to leave the room she had hidden in and ran for the nearest phone.

When she found one she grabbed the phone and started to get the change together... then she realized someone cut the cords... not just on that phone, but ALL of them.

There was no way out.

She felt completely numb, she was trapped.

_Where is everyone? What the HELL is going on!_

She searched around and found the bloody remains of two men, from what she could tell, they had killed each other. Next to one of them was a gun! It was the first time she had held a gun before, the handle was cold, and it was heavier the she had imagined. It took her a bit but she found how to open it. The gun had no bullets left in the chamber.

Suddenly she felt a wave of nausea, realizing that one of the bodies may have ammo, but she'd have to search them.

Reluctantly she reached for the man who she believed had the gun, and with great effort flipping him over him his back. She then started to check his pockets, she almost gagged trying not to think about what she was doing, or how his eyes were still open... or how strong the smell of blood was. Katie felt like she was going to suffocate. As soon as she got the ammo she bolted away from the bodies, gasping for air. Then the lights went out.

Katie jerked and with her hands were shaking trying to load the gun.

"I've found you Miss Bastone..." Her blood ran cold at Steinman's voice.

She stepped back trying to adjust to the blackness, unable to determine where the voice came from.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. The transformation is a BRUTAL ordeal."

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "T-transformation?

"Yes... just as I have been transformed into something BEAUTFUL. A new kind of PERFECTION, once again I will revolutionize the field of surgery! And all because of her."

She looked around the room for the doctor; her back was to the wall. "Her?"

"The one who has guided me on my path, but until now, I haven't been about to truly test my new abilities, or the limits of my imagination... and thanks to your sacrifice I will create PERFECTION!"

"What!"

She heard someone moving around in the darkness. "You and the others will become my canvases! I will make you beautiful, beyond anything of this world with the help of my goddess Aphrodite!"

She'd had enough, she bolted in the direction where the door was, risking running straight into Steinem, but it was all Katie could do. She ran to and saw a light further down the hall and then she was tackled.

Steinman had her pinned to the floor, she was scratching and kicking but was no match for him, and she couldn't find the gun. Steinman lifted her upper body and slammed her against the floor. And he did so again, and again...

Katie woke up to her head pounding, he face felt like it had been run over by a bus. She couldn't see clearly, was she drugged?

_…Momma?_

Katie heard footsteps and saw Steinman enter the room. "Katie, you're awake? You've been asleep for DAYS... I was beginning to wonder if you'd wake up at all... well, it's time to continue."

_Continue!_

" A few more operations and you'll be finished..." He began to pull out sharp surgical tools until he found his scalpel. Katie tried to move, to escape.

"Now STAY STILL KATIE. I can't operate well when you're moving, you don't want me to cut something important, do you?"


	5. Leonard Page

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Shit... the whole place is jumping; everyone's been on edge since the lockdown started. Well, not EVERYONE. Cohen and his boys aren't in too much of a fix. But hey, I guess if there's any place to be locked up in, it's Fort Frolic."
> 
> -Leonard Page

You're working yourself up over nothing Lennie. This is temporary. Cohen promised," called Kyle from the bar.

"Besides it's only been three days." Cobb remarked from the couch, watching the girls on the stage.

Rodriguez busted out laughing. "Yeah, grab a drink!" He then took a long swig of his own drink.

"I guess you're right, just try to ask Cohen about it, if you wouldn't mind..."

"Why not ask him yourself kid?" Questioned Finnegan from the bar, who had not said anything until now and was staring at him coldly.

Lennie felt his cheeks get warm as him face went red. "W-well I- uh..."

"Not scared of him are you boy?" Asked Cobb with a grin.

Lennie looked away from him. "No! I just..."

Rodriguez and Cobb burst out laughing; Kyle was chuckling at him too. "Look it his face!"

"I've- I've just heard a lot of stuff..." They continued to laugh as Lennie quickly walked out.

He could still hear them laughing from outside Eve's Garden. "Hey Lennie!"

He looked back to see Kyle. "Hey, don't take it personally."

"Who says I did?" He shot back defensively.

Kyle shook his head. "Look I'm sorry, and I'll ask Cohen for you."

Lennie sighed. "Right, thanks."

Lennie watched Kyle return to the club. He had known Kyle for a few years now, but he hadn't really talked to him in a while, with things in Rapture getting so out of hand...

Lennie headed for the Atrium where he found a group of people standing at the doors, banging on them, yelling to be released. No answer from anyone.

"You son of a bitch!" Lennie heard screaming coming from Cohen's Collection. "Let's see how you like this!"

Lennie ran up to see what the commotion was about, when the doors opened for him a blast of fire flew past his face. Lennie fell back, grabbing his cheek that had almost had contact with the flames. Inside a group of men were tearing the gallery apart and setting the paintings on fire. Lennie stared at the sight numbly until he heard yelling coming from all over the Fort, suddenly at least twenty splicers and security bots came out of the wood work and started attacking!

The people lined up at the door scattered in terror as a 'Houdini' splicer teleported nearby and shot fire at them, and nearly a dozen 'spider' splicers rushed into the gallery and began slicing up the men who had been destroying Cohen's work.

Over the speakers Lennie could hear Cohen. Screaming for them to kill, and something about doubters, but Lennie wasn't listening. He was running as fast as he could to Poseidon Plaza, but the doors were locked!

Lennie went to the gene bank next to the door and nabbed the natural camouflage tonic he'd been saving. He really wasn't into plasmids and such, but they did come in handy.

Lennie ran to a secluded area and waited. After few moments of standing still the tonic kicked in, and he disappeared from sight.

The next hour was the hardest in his life so far. Standing so still for so long was a pain, but not as bad as the massacre he was forced to watch. For the next hour he saw people get chased down, beaten, and cruelly slaughtered.

When the screaming finally stopped and the splicers left Lennie bolted to Poseidon plaza.

"I swear to god! Cohen killed them!"

"You're crazy Lennie." Kyle dismissed.

Lennie was so angry his whole body was shaking as he stood in front of Kyle, Cobb, and Finnegan. Rodriguez was passed out at the bar. Lennie had tried to talk to Kyle alone but he wouldn't follow so he was forced to try and warn Kyle in front of the others.

"Listen to me dammit!" Lennie shouted grabbing Kyle's shoulder.

"We've got to get out of here! Cohen's a lunatic!"

Kyle pushed Lennie off. "Get a hold of yourself!"

"Dammit Kyle! I'm trying to warn you that Cohen-"

Cobb laughed. "Careful kid, Cohen has the keys to this place; he can probably hear what yer sayin'." He waved his arms in mock terror. "He may send the splicers out to kill ya."

"I'm not joking!"

Kyle shook his head. "If that's true how did he control all those splicers?"

Lennie hadn't thought of that, he hadn't really needed to while he was trying not to be ripped to shreds. "I-I don't know." Kyle and the others gave him a questioning look. "I KNOW WHAT I SAW!"

Lennie stormed off, he couldn't believe this. He was trapped, with that psycho!

But maybe it won't be so bad, as long as I'm in here with all those other people, yeah; I'll be fine until the lock down is over. It'll be like a vacation. Yeah, I'm getting a vacation. I'll spend a while at Eve's Garden, shop around. Just stay out of his way, and it'll be fine.

Lennie tried to keep this way of thinking as the days went by. He also tried to as the days turned into weeks and desperately tried as the weeks turned into a whole month. But he couldn't as he stared down the barrel of a shot gun.

"I KNOW YOU'VE GOT SOME! GIVE IT TO ME!"

Lennie was pressed against the wall, unable to tear his eyes away from the gun. "I-I don't have any ADAM, please... I..."

"You LIAR! GIVE IT TO ME DAMNIT! GIVE IT TO ME!"

Lennie flinched, closing his eyes, preparing for his brains to be blown out.

"W-w-w-w-w-...c-c-c-co-cold..."

Lennie slowly opened his eyes to see the crazed man had been frozen in place. He quickly moved away from the statue, feeling lightheaded he fell to his knees to catch his breath.

"He almost had you huh?" There stood Finnegan, he had been splicing, you could tell by the light scars that were barely visible on his skins. "Get up."

Lennie stood shaking. "Th-thank you."

He turned and started walking. "Follow me."

Lennie stood there a little confused, but followed.

Finnegan lead him to the Pharaohs Fortune casino, they went upstairs to find at least thirty people.

"What's going on?"

Finnegan suddenly moved to Lennie's side and with a flick of his wrist froze the security camera behind him, then took a seat on the couch.

"We're busting out of here."

"What?"

"Cohen's lost his goddamn mind, and we're getting out."

Lennie took a moment to absorb what Finnegan said. "What- when?"

"Three days. And you better be ready for it."

"But-but why tell me?"

Finnegan leaned back. "You were the one who got me thinking, figured I owed you."

"Thinking?"

Finnegan's lip curled in disgust. "About Cohen. You were right. And he's never gonna let us out of his rat whole."

What? Did something happen between them?

Finnegan laid the plan out to Lennie they would set up a distraction for Cohen and during that time while he was out in the open make a break for the bathysphere to Arcadia. Until then they were recruiting anyone they could.

Lennie wasn't sure what to think when he left the casino. But the thought of escape...

They had to try, if they were right. They had to escape.

"What's all this about Lennie?"

Lennie looked around before answering Kyle. "We're busting out of here. Cohen's not letting us out of here, so we need to escape."

"Escape?"

He nodded. "Yeah, tomorrow, are you in?"

Kyle shuffled nervously. "I- I'm not sure."

"Think about it, we're making our move at 5. Wait in the lower plaza."

He nodded "I'll think about it."

Lennie sat down on a bench and watched Fitzpatrick walk away; he sighed and yawned, but had trouble sleeping, thinking about tomorrows escape.

The next day Lennie and the others who were planning to escape Lennie were gathered in the lower plaza, Lennie was pretending to buy ammo at the nearest vending machine.

Lennie hadn't been told what the distraction would be but he could tell when it happened because he heard it. A huge explosion and screaming.

As soon as he heard it and saw one of the others run for the door, he took off straight through the tunnel, everything happened so fast. Running through the tunnel, and the tunnel door closing, he jumped, and barely made it. But no one else did.

He ran back to the door, he could hear the screaming and cursing of the people locked inside. He had to get out, he couldn't help them!

Kenny ran from the door and started down the stairs, when he saw the doors to the bathysphere close and heard them lock. Then he was temporarily blinded by the spotlight.

"Well, well, well... look what we have here. Leonard Page. I should have known."

Lennie stood in shock, trying to grasp what was going on. He ran to the door, the spot light followed him. Cohen continued on the speakers.

"I should have dealt with you sooner, now Finnegan has been poisoned by you. You're just like all the rest, we come down here to get away from you DOUBTERS but you slither in and spread your disease! Well... you'll get what's coming to you."

"OPEN THE DOOR YOU FREAK!" Lennie was stuck, trapped, he had no way out, and this psycho had his eyes on him. Lennie had purchased a shot gun the day before, he was thankful that he had.

Then he saw them, splicers. They ran out at him in frenzy, he shocked one, then shot him. A Houdini splicer had snuck up behind him and launched fire at him. He screamed as he felt the intense heat burn away his clothes and skin. He quickly ripped off his jacket that had caught flame, and ran for a health station.

A spider splicer fell on him from the ceiling, its hook digging into his shoulder, he shot her off then limped to the health station, and He was just BARELY able to heal himself when he shot another splicer that almost sliced him open with its hooks.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING! KILL HIM!" Cohen yelled

He couldn't fight them like this, so he ran. He headed for the fleet hall, and when he was far enough ahead he turned around and as they followed him through the door he shot them. He shot the final splicer and collapsed. He had three shots left at most, but he wasn't getting out of here until he got rid of Cohen. He wasn't in the Atrium, Lennie was sure of that. So Lennie figured he had to be somewhere in the fleet hall. Lennie headed in carefully trying to make as little noise as possible. Then the speakers came to life again.

"I knew... I knew as soon as I saw you. I knew you were a doubter. Everything you do reeks of it. But you'll see, THIS is what happens to DOUBTERS."

As Lennie continued deeper into the Fleet Hall, he began to see them... statues, but something was off in all of them. Lennie walked over to one, and in horror recognized him as one of the men who had been in Cohen's gallery burning the place.

"Shit, this man is... he's..."

"Remember them do you? Good, you'll be joining them soon enough."

"You sick bastard..."

At that he heard a piano, he readied his gun and walked to where the noise was coming from. He saw someone sitting at the piano; he crept up to him, and flipped his mask off.

"Kyle!"

Kyle didn't look him in the eye, and shook his head. "I'm- I'm sorry."

That's when Lennie knew, Kyle had ratted them out. It was all his fault, for telling Kyle.

That's when he felt a jolt, for a moment everything was rushing past him and then it all went black.

Lennie wasn't sure what had happened when he came to, but he quickly realized he couldn't move his body, and when he looked down, he found his entire body was covered in what he could only guess to be plaster, or cement.

"Oh god, HELP! GET ME OUT OF THIS! HEY!"

That's when he noticed Cohen next to a few buckets of the plaster. He came over to Lennie and lathered on some more on his arms and shoulders.

"I have to thank you boy. Because of you I now realized what was wrong with the others."

He wasn't sure what to say as Cohen walked over to a table nearby and grabbed a knife. "The others would reach rigor mortis before I had the chance to finish with them. So you should feel honored, you will join my new collection of pieces." Cohen was getting closer.

"FUCK YOU! You son-of-a-bitch! Let me OUT OF THIS GOD DAM-"

Lennie felt the sting as Cohen slit his throat and the moments, which to him felt like an agonizing life time as he bled out.

Cohen finished with the plaster, but still wasn't happy with the work. So he called Kyle to help him as he cut off Lennie's arms and legs. Kyle had to force himself not to vomit as Cohen handed him the severed limbs and they placed him in a glass case.

"It still NEEDS something... ah!" Kyle watched Cohen leave for a moment then return with a light blue tonic.

He placed it next to the torso, then closed the case and set the combination. Cohen went about his business and ushered for Kyle to follow.

Kyle felt cold, and sick, he couldn't bear to look at what was left of Lennie, because he was responsible.

Kyle shook his head and followed Cohen. Trying to reassure himself...

Things are gonna get better... things are gonna get better... it won't be too much longer...


	6. Kayla Stewart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I can still remember when I was brought here, I couldn't believe it. They hauled me away saying that I was disrupting the peace. I haven't seen my family since. It's like hell in here. If it weren't for Atlas, I don't think I'd still be here."
> 
> -Kayla Stewart

Kayla woke up to Atlas across the room yelling. She sat up rubbing her temples.

"Get out of there! Come back! Dammit!" Atlas looked awful he was probably up all night, again. Johnny was sitting a ways away, looking almost as bad as Atlas.

"What's going on?"

Johnny shook his head. "Far as I can tell the raid's gone bad."

_Yeah no kidding_

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

He shook his head. "Atlas said you needed to rest and told them to go on without you."

Kayla was silent for a moment, and then walked away.

Kayla went upstairs to their food supply and grabbed whatever still looked good, then made some coffee that she'd been saving and brought it down. She could still hear Atlas.

"Okay, grab what you can and head back." He let out a sigh.

She placed the food down by his side, catching his attention. "You're awake?"

She glared at him. "You know I don't appreciate being left behind."

He shook his head. "You've been out on every raid so far this month, you can't always be out there, an' you can't see your family again if you get killed now can you?"

She shook her head. "Yeah you're right, sorry."

He smiled. "Don't worry about it; we're all on edge, just try to enjoy the quiet."

"Okay, but you need to sleep too."

He nodded. "As soon as they get back I'm turnin' in."

She sighed and went to Jasmine. She'd been sick all week, and she didn't seem to be getting any better. Kayla fixed her covers and checked her forehead. When she'd suddenly collapsed early this week they moved her downstairs to the row of beds they'd set up. Kayla really didn't know what else to do for her. She was so young, she couldn't...

Kayla shook her head trying to chase away the thought then when to find her something to eat.

When the group returned from the raid Kayla couldn't believe how many were gone, at least six had died. They'd gotten some food, and ammo, but it was a loss anyway you looked at it.

Kayla helped the injured into the room and called for Johnny to get some health packs. Kayla was wrapping the cuts on one of the guys who had seen the worst of the raid. His head, arms and stomach were bleeding uncontrollably, and he was fading in and out of consciousness.

Kayla shook him a little. "Hey! Can you hear me? Stay with me."

His eyes fluttered open. "What? ….I..."

"Keep him talking!" Kayla heard Atlas call to her.

"What's your name?" She asked him.

"...J-joey..." He mumbled.

"All right Joey, tell me what happened."

"The... splicers... came out of nowhere... they... Landon... where's Landon?"

Kayla looked around. "I'm not... who's Landon?"

"Landon my... my son... where?"

"Was he with you on the raid?" She asked as she finally got a heath pack.

"N-no, he was supposed to stay here..."

Kayla wrapped up the last of his wounds then leaned him back. "Okay just relax, I'll find Landon."

She asked around and no one knew where Landon was. But they were able to give her a description. He was about twelve, and looked a lot like Joey. Which made sense, since Joey was his dad.

She searched the headquarters but no luck, so she grabbed her gun and went out to check the rest of the poor houses.

As if this place wasn't depressing enough, most of the people who were moved to Apollo Square ended up here. You could hear people whispering, talking to themselves, crying from every direction.

Apollo square was a dangerous place to be. Before Atlas started using it as a headquarters and Ryan started forcing people here it had been like a recruiting center for Fontaine, who had been killed by Andrew Ryan earlier because of whatever bullshit reason.

Andrew Ryan.

It always came back to that monster. Always.

He built this place, then started attacking it citizens, and now he's the dictator of Rapture. Crushing anyone who speaks out against him.

Rapture was dead, and that bastard won't let anyone leave.

Even if they somehow managed to beat Ryan, they were still here, with all the splicers. Trapped here until they were torn apart, or Rapture collapsed on their heads and they were crushed by the millions of gallons of water that hung over their heads.

"AHH!"

Kayla jumped from the sudden shriek and ran to the source, a splicer was jumping off the walls screaming and cursing. Kayla pulled out her gun and shot the splicer two or three times.

"OOOOH! I'm BLEEDIIIIIIING! AAAAAH!" She ran off jumped straight out the window and ran from the poor houses. The group of people the splicer had attacked where alright, but shaken, and in them she noticed a kid about the right age, and he fit the description...

"Hey, is your name Landon?"

He looked up at her and nodded. "Yeah, that's me..."

"Your dad was asking for you, he was hurt in the raid, but he's going to be fine."

Landon's eyes widened. Then he ran for the door. "Uh th-thank you!"

Kayla sighed, rubbed her neck, and stretched.

_Things just keep getting harder..._

Kayla looked over to a family of four over by the bunk beds eating some food they had managed to scavenge.

Kayla wondered for a moment about her husband and two boys were doing.

She hadn't seen them in so long... She shook her head and blinked away the tears that were forming at the thought of her boys, and Jake having to raise them alone... they were only three years old...

She shook her head forcing away the thoughts of them, she couldn't let herself fall to pieces now...

When she returned to Atlas' headquarters everything was quiet, some of the guys were throwing darts at a picture of Ryan, and others were just sitting around trying to relax. Kayla went to the large printers and popped out a few more posters.

Kayla could hear some people talking.

"Atlas seems a little on edge lately don't he?"

"Yeah, I think so too."

"And he's been acting strange, like he ain't himself."

Kayla turned to them. "Hey! Would you mind shutting your mouths and checking our supplies!"

The two guys were caught off guard, and then awkwardly went to check the guns.

Kayla had noticed it too.

Atlas had changed; she wasn't sure what it was. But it was there. She sighed and headed downstairs, Atlas was asleep on one of the beds, and Johnny was at the radio, listening just in case something happened.

She looked to Eric, "Hey where's McClintock?"

He shrugged. "Dunno, she's been on a lot of raids lately, maybe she's out with Carlson."

McClintock, one of Ryan's girls, or used to be. She'd been helping the rebels for a while now; she was a decent sort of girl.

Joey and a few others had been moved downstairs too, Joey was quietly talking to Landon.

"Johnny, get some sleep, I'll listen to the radio."

He nodded and wearily went to one of the beds.

Kayla sat by the radio, listening to the static. Nothing, like usual.

Sometimes she wondered if they were the only ones left, sometimes it felt that way; only them, the splicers, and Ryan. No one sane. No one kind or normal. Atlas said there were a few places were people, normal people that is, were gathered and safe. For the moment. Kayla wondered for a moment what Ryan would do if he learned Atlas and his rebels were hiding in the poor houses, she could see him sending in hundreds of splicers. Ripping the place apart, and leaving no one standing.

She remembered the first time Sean had talked, she remembered getting so excited, she called to Jake who was dressing Michael, she was so happy.

Kayla let out a bitter laugh; she couldn't even remember what his first word was...

The rest of the day dragged on like all the others. Atlas woke up eventually and started telling everyone about a weapons bunker, enough to really turn things around. The next few days were preparing for the big raid.

As far as Kayla saw of the thirty or more rebels they had at least ten would stay at the base due to injuries and a smaller group was heading out on another raid, she could see McClintock was going with them, and Vallette.

Atlas kept assuring them it was no big deal as they got ready to go.

She checked to see if her shotgun was loaded, grabbed a health pack or two.

She noticed Landon grabbing a gun. "Hey, what are you doing?"

He looked embarrassed. "Well, uh... my dad can't go, so I thought that I..."

"No way! You're just-"

"Sounds fine to me."

Kayla's couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "Atlas!"

Atlas had just come upstairs, smiling. "Let him go Kayla."

"But he's- you can't be serious!"

Atlas walked passed her and put his hands on Landon's shoulders. "Just listen to whatever Kayla says all right boyo?"

Landon smiled and nodded. Kayla couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Atlas!"

He smiled at her. "Don't worry, I've got all of you covered, and besides he wants to help."

Kayla felt a strange icy feeling in her gut, but nodded. "S-sure... whatever you say."

"Better get ready." Atlas told her before walking off.

_What was that?_

When you're living with other people, especially people you risk your life with, you learn to memorize certain things. The way they talk, and move. Their eyes and face... just then, for a second Atlas... didn't seem like Atlas.

… _don't be stupid._

She turned to Landon. "Get ready."

He nodded and ran off.

_Why...? Why the hell would Atlas let him go?_

This question dogged Kayla even as they left the poor houses and followed Atlas' directions. When they reached the entrance to where the weapons were Atlas guided them in, Ron hacked the security systems, they had ten minutes to get in and get out. They did have to take out a few splicers, but they were no big deal, they thought they were home free when, the security system started blaring.

"What the!"

"What happened?"

"Ron!"

Ron looked panicked. "I-I don't know! We should still have three minutes!"

Eric pulled out his radio. "Atlas, some thing's wrong!"

No answer.

Eric laughed nervously. "Atlas...? Can you hear me...? ATLAS!"

The next few moments were a blur, security bots flew in from all over and opened fire, and they were trapped. The air full of bullets Kayla grabbed the radio from Eric's corpse.

"ATLAS! WHERE ARE YOU!"

Kayla took her gun and started shooting the bots from the sky, but before she even got three she heard screams from all over. Splicers.

She looked around in panic, and saw a vent, she took aim and fired, bursting the grate off, and made a break for it. "GO! The vent! Get to the vent!"

She saw the remaining make a break for it, when the splicers dropped from the ceiling, slashing and gutting whoever they caught.

Kayla made a break for it when a hand grabbed her skirt. Landon was shaking, wide eyed and terrified on the floor. He wasn't hurt, just petrified. She pulled him up and they ran for the vent. "Go! Get in!"

She opened fire on the enemies gaining. "Atlas! Where are you! God, we're not gonna make it... ATLAS!"

Nothing...

Nothing..

"AHH!"

Kayla turned around to see Landon, he'd been spotted.

She could run, she could escape, if she just left the boy. While they aren't looking…

A quick dash to the vent and she was out of there.

As Kayla felt the bullets shred into her back all those thoughts ran threw her head.

But she couldn't.

She just wasn't that kind of person.

She could hear a loud ringing noise in her ears, all she could taste was iron, and as she gasped in pain, she inhaled some blood; she hacked as it choked her. And with the last amount of strength she had murmured to Landon, who was looking up at her in horror, her blood dripping down his cheek, tears streaming down his face. "Run."

He ran to the vent as the security bots continued unloading bullets into her.

She hit the ground and could make out vague, blurry images, and flashing lights.

_Atlas..._

_You must have known... it wouldn't be easy..._

_Then why?_

_...Atlas... was this..._

_...what you... wanted?_


	7. Landon Barker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I've been missin' my mom a lot lately, but I can't say anything to dad... he... he always beats himself up over what happened... but I want to help everyone! I'm old enough! Maybe if I do really good maybe dad will feel better!"
> 
> -Landon Barker

She stared coldly at the scene in front of her, with a few clicks she'd sealed their fates, and they were all dead. She shook her head and reached for her radio. The line was secured so only she and... 'Atlas' could hear each other.

"It's over."

She could hear Fontaine on the other end. "Already? Good."

She took out a cigarette and started searching for her lighter. "I really don't see why it was necessary though."

"Come on, what's with you? Nows' not the time to grow a conscience."

"I'm not." She felt the cool metal of the lighter, and pulled it from her pocket, when she saw movement. From a vent, a kid, probably not even fifteen. He survived?

"What...?" Her hands went to the key board ready to activate the security bots, and then stopped. He was the only one left... she didn't have to...

"You can head on back, don't worry about clean up."

She stared at him, the boy was crying, cringing from the bodies, he reached over to a corpse and... grabbed the radio.

"Don't-!"

His lips moved as he talked into the radio, she tensed and waited for a response from Fontaine...

"Hey, did you hear me?"

_What?_

"Hey, head back."

She swallowed. "Yeah... sure I'm... comin' back."

_Is the radio broken? Looks like it._

As she watched the boy struggle around the room she felt herself giving into her guilt, and she unlocked the doors. He jumped, and then ran from the room.

"What have I done?"

Landon jumped as he heard the beeping and saw the doors slide open.

_Atlas... I have to get back to Atlas..._

He ran to the main hall of the building, threw the front door, down the hall and he was out of there...

As he reached the front door it closed almost crushing him.

"No! Let me out!"

On the screens hanging on the walls an image appeared of a man, most of his face hidden by a hat, and in the corner of the screen read 'RYAN'

_Andrew Ryan...!_

" **What we have here? Intruders. It's amazing how you parasites believe you can just waltz in here and take what you want. I suppose some must learn the hard way what happens when you try to steal from Andrew Ryan."**

Landon could hear his heart pounding in his head, all around he saw splicers dropping from ceiling, screaming and cursing, the closest one giggled manically as it came closer, lifting it's claw.

Landon wasn't sure exactly what happened, he heard a huge bang, and the splicer was on the ground, twitching.

He slid down to the floor, shaking uncontrollably, he heard more bangs, then felt someone grab his arm.

"NO!" He was hoisted to his feet, and looked up to see the most beautiful person he'd ever seen.

"Get behind me."

Landon moved behind her, and she shot two more splicers. She had long red hair, pulled back into a messy bun. An unlit cigarette hung from her lips as she opened fire on to the splicers. When she reached back into her purse Landon heard her mutter. "Damn."

He saw her pull out a plasmid from her purse, she jabbed the needle into her arm, dropping the shot gun, her arm twitched and she snapped. Close by a small trail of oil caught fire, leading to a few barrels.

She grabbed Landon and pulled him close, covering him as the barrels exploded.

When the dust cleared she casually snapped and the last splicer caught fire and screamed as they ran away into the darkness.

" **Well done, but if you think that's enough to escape this place, you are sadly misinformed..." Ryan's picture was on the screen again. "I'm afraid you have no idea what's in store for you. It would have been better to die quietly."**

The woman reached into her pocket and lit the cigarette, seeming to ignore the man, as his picture disappeared.

"Name."

Landon blinked and looked up at her. "What?"

"What's your name?"

"L-Landon Barker..."

She looked down at him, her eyes were unreadable. "Boy... did you piss your pants?"

His face burned as he was suddenly aware of his wet pants.

She rolled her eyes. "Come on."

She searched all the slicers, it was a good hall. A pistol, a few clips, three health packs, two EVE, and a pair of pants. Hey, the guy was dead, he wasn't gonna miss them.

She looked back to the boy; the pants were way too big on him. It was almost comical; she probably would have laughed if she hadn't been scolding herself.

_Why, why did I save him, twice! Damn, if Fontaine finds out about this... he can't find out... I'll have to shoot him._

She loaded the pistol and started walking towards him.

_Wait, I can't kill him, not after all the ammo I wasted saving him!_

She backed off, rethinking the situation.

_He'll run straight back to the poor houses, I have to..._

Her grip on the gun tightened.

_He's just a boy._

She looked back to him.

_You've done it before, hell you've done worse._

She stared at the gun, considering her options; if that boy lived... she'd die.

_Yeah, probably..._

She walked from him and stared at him. She had to choose.

"Hey, were the hell are you?"

Fontaine.

She lifted up the radio. "We've got a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

She inhaled, and then slowly exhaled, dropping the cigarette to the ground and crushing it with her boot. "The little spectacle caught Ryan's attention, I'm locked in."

Fontaine cursed.

"It's not anything to worry about; I'll just have to take the scenic route."

He laughed. "Sure, just make it quick."

"I'll be needin' some buckshot though."

"Fine, sendin' it threw the pneumo."

She went to the pneumo, and in seconds had a few rounds to jam into her purse.

"And you'd better hurry back, way things are goin' we'll be kissin' ol' Rapture good bye before the week is out."

She blinked at his words. "What?"

"He'll be here tomorrow."

She felt a chill run down her spine. "Tomorrow?"

She heard him laugh. "That's right, so unless you wanna be left in this fish tank you better book it to Apollo Square."

She stood there a rush of emotions running through her.

_Leave Rapture?_

She wearily looked around to the dead bodies and trash that littered the floor. This city was a tomb, it used to be a place where people lived, and laughed, and loved... but Fontaine destroyed it. And she helped him.

She'd do anything for a paycheck... anything.

Rob a store, interrogate a loudmouth smuggler, slit a throat, shoot some people... what hadn't she done for that man.

Why was that? Because no one ever took her seriously before him? No one ever thought she could do it before him?

She thought of her father and mother... it was strange. She could see their faces clearly, but she had to strain herself to even recall anything about them. Like her fathers favorite wine, or how old her mother was when she left.

Even now, she didn't really care.

She looked at the boy, Landon.

She'd killed lots of people before this... what's one more?

Landon was breathing deeply, trying to calm himself down.

Dead, everyone was dead... and he watched them all die. When he had reached the vent and crawled inside, he had started crawling away, but there was a huge drop. It just went straight down, it was so dark... he was too scared to jump down.

Everyone died but him... everyone... shot down or ripped to pieces; he had to force himself not to throw up. Tears stung his eyes, no matter how he tried to wipe them away. Was he going to die too?

"Get up." The woman was back. "We have to get moving."

He felt his cheeks get warm again; he stood up trying to ignore how high the pants were on him.

"You got a radio?"

He blinked and nodded. "Uh yeah..."

"Give it to me."

He handed her the radio. "B-but don't you already have a radio?"

She ignored his question. "Is this broken?"

He nodded. "I think so... no one's answering..."

She tossed it. "Then we don't need it. Come on."

He looked back to the radio... for a moment he had a weird feeling, and quickly grabbed the radio while she wasn't looking, then followed her. "Uh, who are you?"

She didn't look back to him. "Call me Jess."

He was having trouble keeping up with her, having to jog to catch up. "Jess what?"

"...Tapely."

She suddenly motioned for him to stop. "Wait here." He stopped as she crept to the door. She looked left, then right, and then slid silently into the room.

For an exhausting amount of time Landon was just standing there, listening.

Then he heard shooting.

"AAAAAH! She's got a gun! She's got a gun!"

Lots of shooting. "Parasite! PARASITE!"

Then he heard an explosion, and then a roar.

A Big Daddy.

Landon ran into the room. "Jess!"

It all happened so fast, a Big Daddy was on fire, he must have been caught in the crossfire, he charged the splicer first, it's drill went straight threw his skull, killing him instantly, then he went for Jess. She had pulled out her shot gun and was unloading all she had trying to take out the big daddy, but it charged, and hit.

Its drill collided with her, pinning her to the wall, then after a few seconds, she dropped to the floor unmoving and lifeless, and the big daddy stomped away.

Landon tried not to scream; he choked back the lump in his throat, and then clumsily made his way to her body.

The left side of her body was bloody, but it wasn't too bad, and she was still breathing.

Landon grabbed her purse and dumped its contents onto the floor and took the health pack and started patching her up.

He wasn't really good at it, but he had learned some things back at Atlas' headquarters.

He finished up, and she was still breathing... but Landon still wasn't sure if she would make it.

He sat next to her and pulled his legs to his chest, sniffing, and rubbing tears out of his eyes.

_Stop being a baby! That's all you've done! Cried like a baby!_

He shivered, it was so cold. Rapture was always cold now. Even when wearing layers it was like the cold leaked threw the stitches in your clothes.

He looked back to Jess...

Jess... it was weird for Landon to call a grown up by their first name. He wondered for a moment why she wouldn't tell him her real last name.

He looked down at her clothes that were in surprisingly good shape, besides the rip in the side made by the big daddy. She was wearing a black suit with small golden buttons, and even a red tie.

Landon's eyes trailed up to her chest... maybe he could...

He looked away, face burning. He was a pervert! He pressed his face into his knees.

Then he heard a groan.

"Jess?"

She shifted, then flinched and grabbed her stomach. "Oh... god! Damn those Big Daddies!" She looked down to her stomach.

"Are- are you all right!"

She looked at him, looking totally blown away. "You?"

He rubbed his eyes, hoping that may hide any traces that he'd be crying.

"I-I was... I thought I could help..."

She stared at him. "Thank you."

"Huh?"

She shifted. "Considering it was a Big Daddy, I got out of it easy, but from the looks of it, I would have bleed out pretty quick."

He felt his chest swell with a wonderful feeling. He'd helped. She'd be dead if he hadn't tried to save her!

Jess inwardly groaned as she put her hand on the wall and pushed herself up.

"W-wait! You're hurt."

She shook her head. "We're in Ryan's territory. We stay in one place to long, and we die."

_And if Fontaine is right, I have to get back before he arrives... then when he kills Ryan..._

She looked back at the boy, and motioned with her head. "Come on."

She let Landon take on of her arms, and help her move. They quickly headed deeper into Rapture.


	8. Jessica Tapely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Rapture is dead. It's not a place for the soft or merciful. Not a place for decent people, or children. But it's the perfect place for someone like me. A... killer... I want out! But I don't deserve it. One day, when I die, I'll probably be left here... left to rot in this place forever... after all this is really as close to hell as you can get."
> 
> -Jessica Tapely

Jess could have leaped for joy when she saw a health station that is if she hadn't had a whole in her side. She searched her pockets and purse for any spare change. When she had scraped together the right amount she felt instant relief. Almost all the pain in her side was gone. She wouldn't be doing much heavy lifting for a while, but she was better off than a few minutes ago.

Landon was staring at her again. She would have told him to stop gawking at her but then she remembered that, if it wasn't for him she'd have bleed out thirty minutes ago. She still couldn't believe it. Now she really couldn't kill him.

When she had walked out to check the room a head she was contemplating how to kill him, a quick shot to the back of the head, or maybe just leave him to the splicers... she cursed herself and her weak will.

_Fontaine is going to kill you._

She shook her head.

_God, he's just a boy, why should Fontaine care?_

_Fontaine said he wanted them all out of the picture, that includes HIM._

"Uh Jess"

She turned back to him. "What?"

"Do you know where we're going?"

She looked around. "Not really but there has to be an exit sooner or later."

He didn't look too encouraged by that.

"Cool it kid, we'll be out of here in no time. Trust me."

He nodded, and smiled.

She looked away from him not feeling well.

_You should kill him now..._

She sat down on a bench rubbing her temples.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I need a drink..."

Landon looked around. "I'll get you something!"

"Hey, what, no!" She called as he ran off. "Damn."

_Silly, stupid kid._

"This way Mr. B!"

Jess looked up to see another Big Daddy, and with him, a Little Sister.

She scowled, and looked away from them; feeling worse then she had a few moments before.

It was strange; she really couldn't stand the sight of them. The Little Sisters. Just thinking about them always made her feel sick, and uncomfortable. She could hear the sickening noise of the Little Sisters needle piercing the skin of a dead body. She could see it in her head. After they had sucked out the blood from the corpse she would... drink it, then the scientists... or rather, SCIENTIST would make them puke it up and just like that ADAM. The Little Sisters could do this because of slugs implanted into their stomachs. Disgusting.

Of all the things Fontaine had built up, or created that was the thing she always HATED most...

"Jess!"

The Big Daddy, who hadn't noticed her until now suddenly jumped in front of the Little Sister, pointing it's gun at her, a warning telling her to stay away. Landon froze in his tracks when he saw the brute. She stood up avoiding the pair and headed for Landon. "Let's go."

Landon nodded looking back nervously to the Big Daddy, who was still pointing a gun their way.

Jess looked and saw Landon had a cheap wine brand in his hands. "That mine?"

He blinked then handed it to her. "Yeah!"

She sniffed it and took a long swig, it was awful. She was used to the expensive stuff, but this junk had enough kick to clear her head. "Thanks kid." She smiled then leaned the bottle back to him. "Want some?"

His face turned pinkish. "I- I'm not allowed to..."

"Not allowed?"

He looked away. "My dad says..."

"Your dad isn't here kid, and I won't tell him. Sure you don't want some?"

Landon stared at her, and then took the bottle. He took a deep breath and took a sip; his face was priceless when he spit it out. Jess started laughing, and Landon's face turned a deep shade of red.

She apologized and cleaned him off, then, her head now clear continued to search.

_It's too quite... where's Ryan? There's no way he'd let us out of here...So why hasn't he tried to pull anything yet?_

She was on edge, no noises, it was so quiet, she could hear water dripping from the ceiling and even Rapture itself, groaning under the weight of the ocean. She could see dim fluorescent lights threw the water outside, and beyond the lights was darkness.

The room they entered was huge, from what Jess could see it was a cafeteria. She could see desks and chairs scattered around and knocked over. Food was still rotting on the floor; it almost made her loose her appetite.

_Damn, we need to find something to eat. Where's a vending machine when you need one?_

Suddenly she heard something like an explosion; she shook and almost fell over from the violent shaking. She looked up and could see through the glass, a tunnel, it was hit, it was falling. Right on top of them.

With no time to think she grabbed Landon and ran, she jammed a electro bolt plasmid into her arm and shot out a bolt of lightning to open the door, she threw Landon into the tunnel and jumped, as she flew through the air she grabbed her pistol and when she landed on the ground she shot the controls to the tunnel when it closed. A second later she heard the ceiling collapse and a huge amount of force hit the door almost popping it open, but now water was leaking into the tunnel. The force of the water was so strong it caused the glass of the tunnel to crack.

"Shit!" She stood up and as quick as she could manage she reached the next room.

Landon was shaking. "What happened!"

She shook her head. "I have no idea... looked like something hit the tunnel that collapsed on us, but I've never seen anything like it before... it might have been something from... the surface."

Landon looked uncomfortable. "Do you think they've found out about Rapture, and they've come to steal..."

She cut him off with laugh. "Please, like there's anything here WORTH stealing! You've been paying too much at attention to Ryan." She pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Aren't you supposed to be a rebel?"

He looked down. "My dad's a rebel... I've never really done anything to be worth anything to him or Atlas."

She flinched. Atlas.

"So where is your dad?"

He looked up at her. "He was hurt on a raid, so he's back at base."

So she hadn't killed him. Now she felt a little better. "Wait here for a while okay?"

"Where are you going?"

She didn't look back. "To find some food."

When she was a good distance from Landon she pulled out the radio.

"Hey 'Atlas'."

She heard a laugh from the other side. "What is it?"

"How many rebels are with you at your hideout?"

"What?"

She shook her head. "I mean, that can't have been all of them..."

After a pause he replied. "About ten."

"That many?"

"Yeah, they're unfinished business, but now that Jack's back I don't need them anymore."

"Wait, he's here? Already!"

"Yeah, he's just makin' his way in."

_Shit._

"You're almost back right?"

She looked around. "I think so."

"Then I got a job for ya'. Before we meet at my flat, I need you to go to the Krauts house and pick up somethin' for me."

She nodded. "What?"

"A sample she stole, thought I didn't notice, I need you to grab it."

She rubbed her neck. "Why not get her to bring it back?"

"Turns out mother goose don't wanna play ball no more. So, I'm droppin' her."

She nodded. "Okay, I'll find... whatever it is for you."

"Great, great. See ya then."

She shook her head. Another thing to add to her to do list. Then with a sigh she started looking around for some food.

Landon yawned and closed his eyes, he was so tired... but he was too scared to sleep. He had no idea of what could sneak up on him while he was sleeping.

The thought of something attacking him in his sleep was battling with how much he wanted to sleep.

He stood up and started walking around the area.

He pulled out his radio and turned it on. "..."

Nothing, he walked around for a while. "...plas-...bodies... -andle it..."

_Atlas!_

"Atlas! Can you hear me?"

He shook his head; Atlas must not be able to hear him. He sighed and sat down listening to the jumbled messages.

He wondered if they knew what happened... if his dad thought he was... He had to get back soon.

He sighed and turned off the radio, and looked up, staring into the darkness.

Jess was walking back when she saw Landon sleeping on the floor. She let out an irritated sigh. She didn't have time for this!

_But...I need to rest too. It'll take him a while before he can reach Ryan anyway..._

She sat down and closed her eyes, it was hard to find a comfortable spot on the floor but when you're tired enough you can manage.

"HELP!"

Jess jerked awake, for a moment she didn't know where she was.

"JESS!"

She looked around, Landon was gone!

"Landon! Where are you? LANDON!"

She heard some movement over to her right, and ran after it.

She couldn't see Landon, but she could see movement on the ceiling and a few figures moving in the shadows up ahead.

She ran into the room a head, Landon was running, but tripped and fell. He backed away from the splicer, cowering against a wall.

She pulled out her pistol and shot him, until he fell.

She ran to Landon. "You all right?"

"I-I was just looking around, then... they were everywhere... I-I was..."

She put her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay calm down, can you stand?"

He nodded, and then stood up.

As he stood all the doors in the room slammed shut.

"What!" Jess ran over to the doors and tried to get them open. "Dammit!"

She heard a strange noise and looked up to see a green gas pouring into the room.

"What! ….Ryan!"

**"I've had enough of you. It's time to end this, parasite. The gas should fill the room in a few minutes, and once you are dead and gone, I will deal with the rest of you."**

"Fucking Ryan!" She ran to Landon. "Hold your breath when I say!"

She pulled out her radio. "Hey! I need help! Ryan's locked me in; he's pumping some kind of chemical into the room! I don't have much time!"

"What! Where are you?"

She looked around started naming off the numbers on the wall, names, anything she could think of.

She ripped off some of her shirt and covered her mouth. "Hold your breath! Close your eyes! Hold on as long as you can!"

Landon did so, clinging to her. She could see the gas getting closer. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

It seemed to go on forever...

When she heard Landon gasps for air.

_SHIT!_

She heard him immediately start to cough and hack. She covered his mouth and nose with the cloth. Her lungs were on fire, she couldn't hold on any longer.

She took in a breath and felt the chemicals burn her throat and nostrils, she could barely stand when hit with the wave of pain.

She didn't even notice when the fans turned on.

Before she knew what was happening she was on the floor, twitching, breathing...

The air was clear again. She rolled on to her stomach and pushed herself up, then puked.

_I'm alive...!_

She looked to her right and saw Landon... He wasn't moving...

She crawled to him and rolled him over, then put her ear to his mouth, nothing.

_No! Fuck how do you do this?_

She opened his mouth and pushed on his chest.

_One, two, three_

She breathed in air into his mouth.

Nothing, she tried it again. Nothing.

She quickly shot up an electro bolt plasmid and placed her still twitching hand over his heart.

Landon jerked to life, coughing and gasping, he leaned to his side and threw up.

She could have cried.

"Hey! Can you hear me? You still alive down there!"

She grabbed the radio. "Yes... yes... thank you... thank you..."

"Fuck, you really aren't worth all this hassle. Anyway, there's an exit close by, I'll open the doors for ya."

"R-right..."

She leaned her head back, still taking long, deep breaths.

She heard Landon coughing. "Who... who was that?"

She froze for a moment. "A friend of mine. Don't worry about it..." She sat up. "You all right? You hurting?"

"My chest is still burning... but I think I'm okay."

"G-good..."

She stood up, and almost fell over again.

Her legs felt like they were asleep. Shaking it off she walked over and grabbed Landon's hand and pulled him up when the doors to their right opened.

"Thank god!"

She and Landon quickly ran from the building, just in case Ryan wanted to try something else.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Olympus Heights." She replied.

"Why?"

"Got to pick something up."

Landon looked uneasy. "I-I have to go to Apollo Square."

"Then go."

"But-"

"Your a big boy, you can handle it." She handed him the pistol. "See ya kid."

She left him there... she was surprised how much it hurt. But she couldn't... when he went back to 'Atlas'... she didn't want to think about it.

She headed up to Tenenbaum's apartment, but it was locked, so with some effort she was able to get in threw a hole in the wall.

She headed upstairs, and took out her radio. "So what's this chemical look like?"

"Hell I can't remember, just look around."

She scanned the place looking for it, but when that turned up no results she started tearing up the place.

That's when she noticed it, a small flask of a strange looking chemical. "I think I've got it."

"All right, oh yeah I got another job for ya."

"Yes?"

"Head over to Apollo Square, and finish things up for me there would you?"

She was quiet for a long time... she didn't want to! She couldn't! She...

"...okay..."

"Meet me in my flat when you're done..."

Jess made her way to Apollo Square. She easily slipped into Atlas' Headquarters.

She had been in such a daze on the way she had forgotten, so she loaded her shot gun, and when a man walked up to her shot him point blank. He fell to the floor, a bloody mess; his eyes were still open...

"Alex!"

"You bitch!"

She shot the other two up on the top floor, reloaded, then headed downstairs. She shot the girl lying in the bed, and shot another man who had just gotten up.

One of Atlas' rebels ran to a pile of weapons, and grabbed a gun. Jess shot him before he could even turn around. There must have been some explosives in the pile because it blew up leaving a gaping hole in the floor.

She dropped her shotgun, and with a cold empty feeling in her gut, walked back to Olympus Heights.

_Landon wasn't there... where...?_

She shook her head, it didn't matter anymore... she was leaving this place... she's never have to think about it again.

She kept telling herself that as she went up the elevator to Fontaine's flat.

When she entered his home she could hear 'Danny Boy' playing softly in the background. The place smelled like his cigars.

She walked up the stairs past the gaudy stuffed... whatever it was. Fontaine called it a bear, didn't really matter, they didn't have bears in Rapture.

Fontaine was sitting at the bar, pouring himself a drink.

"Finally made it, I guess it went well?"

"Killed everyone who was there."

He nodded. "Good, got the chemical?"

She nodded and handed it over.

He inspected it and nodded; Fontaine stood up and went into his office. He placed the chemical on his desk, and then set up a few trap bolts. "Good."

"What now?"

"Well haven't heard from Jack in a while, not since he got to Fort Frolic."

"Is he dead?"

"No... I don't think so."

She looked over to the chemical. "So what was that for?"

He laughed. "Just in case things go sour."

Fontaine talked over to one of the many shelves of books. "You've done good."

"..."

"It's too bad you had to fuck things up."

She blinked, registering what he said. "What?"

She hit the floor before she felt the pain, her whole body shuddered, and she felt like she was on fire. She was moaning in pain, he'd shot her in the stomach.

"Wh-why!"

"Do you think I'm stupid? I don't like being lied to."

In her fevered state she was having trouble understanding when he was saying.

"The boy."

She shook her head. "Why should it matter! He's just a-" He kicked her.

"It isn't, not really. I just don't like being lied to, I can't trust you kid, looks like you're staying in Rapture."

She swallowed trying to keep herself from screaming. "Like you ever planned to take me with you!"

The look on his face told her she was right.

She knew, she had known all along, deep inside. She knew he was lying...

"Don't worry; I won't let ya suffer for long." He came closer, grabbing her collar and pulling her off the floor.

"ATLAS! STOP!"

She felt herself fall again, and then heard Fontaine laughing.

Jess looked up; Fontaine had Landon by the hair, twisting it. "Well, ain't that sweet?"

Fontaine kicked him to the ground, ripping the pistol from his hand.

Fontaine started kicking Landon. "STOP IT!" She screamed, she tried to stand, but was too lightheaded from blood loss and fell.

Fontaine looked at her for a moment. "All right, I got better things to do."

Suddenly Fontaine started walking out the door; she didn't know what to do.

He stopped as he reached the stairs and called back. "Oh yeah Jen, I got a job for you."

_Is he trying to be funny?_

"Do me a favor, and kill the kid all right."

The next few moments were a blur. She heard Fontaine laughing, then all of a sudden she was walking to Landon, on top of him.

Her hands locked around his neck, she squeezed, she was choking him.

She was killing him.

_No... no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO!_

"Je... sto..." Landon's face was turning blue... his hands were clawing at her...

She could see the trap bolts in the corner of her eye, she couldn't get herself to let go...

She jerked her body, and her head hit a trap bolt, electrocuting her.

She wasn't sure what happened next, but when she snapped back to reality, Landon was gone.

Landon...

_Why? Why did I do that! I didn't want to!_

She stood up. Whatever Fontaine had done, she would make him pay for it... she leaned back, pulling out a health pack, taking care of her stomach, she WOULD make him pay... but first she had to make a quick stop at Fontaine Futuristics...

" **How dare you come here!"**

"Let me in Ryan, you want to hear me out!"

Ryan let out a mocking laugh. **"And why is that."**

"It's about your son with Jasmine Jolene."

There was a long silence, and then the doors opened.

She limped inside and to Ryan's office. It was the first time she'd seen the man in person.

"What would you know about... that...?"

"Your son... is alive, and he's here in Rapture. He's the one who's on his way to kill you."

Ryan stared at her, his expression was... unreadable. "That's not possible."

"Yes it is, all the proof is in here." She lifted up a large bag she'd filled with papers, diaries, anything about Jack. "Fontaine had the scientists do experiments on him, I was never let in on the details, but I know that's him."

Ryan walked away from her. "Why tell me this? Why now?"

"…for my own satisfaction." She dropped the bag on the floor, and stared at Ryan, for a moment.

"Get out..."

She backed away from him and walked out of the door.

She could only hope that, now that Ryan knew the truth, it would make some sort of difference... but now... now...

"You're still alive huh?" Fontaine's voice mocked from the radio.

"You son-of-bitch!"

She heard him laughing.

"When did you do it?"Her voice came out rougher then she expected.

"Do what?"

She took a deep breath then spat out. "When did you FUCK WITH MY MIND?!"

She could practically hear his smirk. "Jess, Jess, you was always under my thumb. Since the day you were born."

"What are you talking about?"

"We had to test on somebody, I wasn't about to screw up with Ryan's kid! So I went over to the Kraut, and picked up a sad little brat from the Little Sisters orphanage to try them out on."

She wasn't sure what to think. "That's not true, My parents-"

"You still don't get it? Everything you remember is a lie. Your mother died when you was born, and your dad... well never heard what happened to him, after he 'killed Fontaine', the drugs we used on Jack, we tested them on you first." He chuckled darkly. "Good thing too, it was a mess, the only reason you're still here, is cause the ol' Kraut was too attached to you brats. A few more days and you'd have wasted away to nothin'."

She was silent for a long time. "Then why did you let me live?"

"I figured as long as you were there I could use you, turns out you do good work. A regular pro at snappin' a few necks, and all it took was a few bogus memories to get you killin' for me. But now that the cat's outta the bag I guess it's time to put you to bed. Sa plus belle dame."

Jess's chest heaved, she could hear her heart pounding. "What-?"

"Just lay back Jess. And it'll be over before ya know it."

She threw the radio, gasping for breath. "FUCK!"

_What do I do now!_

_...Whatever they did to me, there must be some sort of cure at Fontaine Futuristics..._

She stood up and headed back to Fontaine Futuristics.

It was even harder getting there this time, cursing the world, she finally made it.

Whatever was happening to her, it happened again, she fell to the floor.

Shaking she pushed herself up again, and made her way to the labs.

She quickly learned of lot 192, the cure for the mind control plasmid. She searched the files and found a list of all the components to make it.

She had to move quickly.

She was able to gather most of the components when suddenly the hear heart felt like it was in a vise grip, she couldn't breathe, and she fell to the floor and couldn't move...

It was over...

When Jess woke up she was in a place she'd never seen before... or at least she thought she had never seen before... but she couldn't shake the feeling of nostalgia.

She could see bunk beds to her right and in them...

Little Sisters, sleeping.

She felt it again, the hate, and disgust... and finally understood why. Because that was almost what she was. It was only by chase that she wasn't the same.

"You are awake."

She looked to someone she hadn't seen in years. "Tenenbaum..?"

"How are you feeling?"

She looked away. "Fine... what happened?"

"It is because of him that you are saved, he finished what you started and administered lot 192 to you, then I let him bring you here."

Jess saw Landon, lying on a bunk bed. Sleeping peacefully. She could see the bruises on his neck. "Why? What do you want?"

Tenenbaum looked away. " I have committed many sins, to them, and to you. You who were once like them... I am taking the few I have left from Rapture, I am offering you to leave Rapture with us."

She walked over to Landon, and sat by his side.

_Leave... for real this time..._

"What happened to Fontaine?"

"He is dead, killed by the man who was also like you. After he killed Ryan he freed himself and destroyed him. And then he left Rapture with many of my little ones..."

She nodded thinking over everything that had happened. "Thank you, but I... I'm staying here..."

"What?"

"When we all came down to Rapture, we believed that the world we were leaving behind was doomed, so we abandoned it, and the people there to come here. I... can't do that."

She brushed some of the hair from Landon's face. "There are still people in Rapture who need help... and I can't leave them... no Ryan, no Fontaine... no Atlas... no one to lead them or give them hope."

"So you will stay?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"If that is what you want."

"But... please take him with you..." Jess looked back at Tenenbaum, who gave her a thoughtful nod.

Jess smiled at Landon. "After all Rapture is the perfect place for someone like me." She leaned down and kissed his forehead.

Jess didn't stick around to watch them go... she wasn't nearly as confident as she had sounded in the bunk house. If she had watched, she may have lost her nerve and went with them.

She took a deep breath and stretched, she still had do much to do.

"Jess...?"

She stopped at the familiar voice and almost screamed when she saw him. "Landon!"

Landon stood awkwardly, staring at his feet.

"What are you doing here! You were supposed to go with Tenenbaum!"

He shook his head. "I'm staying here, with... you..."

She stared at him as he shifted from one foot to another.

"I love you!"

For a moment they were both completely still then she burst out laughing.

Landon's face turned to a deep shade of red. "What!"

"Kid I am WAY too old for you."

He looked down, and then swallowed. "I'm still staying with you!"

She stopped laughing and shook her head. "All right, you win, you can stay with me."

He smiled, and ran to her. "I won't always be a kid you know."

She shook her head. "And I will still be too old for you."

She smiled, and for a moment she felt light, and new. They had so much hardship yet to face, but this was her home, it was everyone's home.

She knew they would die there, she probably wouldn't live to see old age, she'd die in a horrible way too, but this is what she wanted. This was what she chose.

She chose Rapture.


	9. Troy Alderson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "At first it really was nothin', just a few plasmids, to impress my girlfriend, but... but then I kept needin' more n' more. And I can't stop... I... NEED IT."
> 
> -Troy Alderson

"Come fill your cravings at the Circus of Values!"

Troy wasted no time to jam the EVE into his wrist. He shuddered as he felt he strength poor into him, filling him with relief. He leaned against the wall, losing himself in the rush. His hand was still twitching from the injection. But still, he wanted more, needed more...

Troy carefully opened the door to his home, and for a moment, stopped and listened for any noises from the house. When he'd determined that no one was awake he slipped inside closed and locked the door. Then, keeping his footsteps as soft as possible began to go to his room. He reached it easy enough, and then fell down on his bed. He let out a yawn the tried to relax, but he only found himself tossing and turning for a few hours.

He did eventually get to sleep. And in the morning, woke up to being hauled out of bed.

"What! What?"

He did held him by his shirt. "Where the hell were you last night! Where did you go!"

"Wh-what? No I was h-here!"

"Bullshit! Don't LIE to me Troy!"

"I'm n-not, I was just, I was-"

"Troy!" Troy smiled, saved by mom.

"Arthur let him go!"

"He was sneakin' out again Molly! Who knows what he'd done!"

Troy's mom just crossed her arms. "Stop being crazy Arthur, Troy's a grown boy, he doesn't need babying!"

Troy's father stared at Molly then glanced at Troy. "Dammit." He let Troy go then walked passed Molly. "One day you'll have to stop protectin' him from the ass whoopin' he deserves."

She ignored him. "Breakfasts ready Troy."

He smiled. "Thanks mom." If there was one thing she was good for, it was dealin' with his old man. He rubbed his eyes.

_Thank god for holidays._

He changed clothes then headed for breakfast. His father wasn't at the table. "Where's pop?"

"He's sulking."

Troy walked to the table and started eating. After breakfast he grabbed his coat. "I'm goin' out mom."

"Be careful Troy."

"I will."

Troy walked through the streets, and then moved away from the crowd. Already feeling the tired aches. His whole body was screaming for a boost. Pulled out some EVE and jammed it into his wrist the pain of the needle puncturing his red and sensitive flesh was blown away by the feeling of power. He shuddered and sighed.

Troy walked in the crowd feeling good. "Troy!"

There was Crystal, wearing a gorgeous dress, her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. "Hey baby!" He kissed her.

"Troy, look." She pulled out a fist full of money.

"Where'd you get that?" He asked.

"I just got paid today."

"Oh, you got a new job?"

She smiled. "Yeah!" She the grabbed his hand. "Let's go!"

"To where?"

She took him to a Bathysphere. "Arcadia."

When they reached Arcadia Crystal started taking up a storm. Troy wasn't paying too much attention to her. Just nodding and saying 'u huh, yeah'. She talked a lot, on and on... But she was gorgeous.

"Troy, you don't look so good."

"Hm? I'm fine."

She reached out and touched his cheek. "But you're so pale."

"I'm f-fine Crystal."

"But-"

"I SAID I'M FINE DAMMIT!"

Crystal seemed blown away from Troy's outburst. People were staring. Troy quickly walked away from the eyes that were fixed on him mentally cursing himself.

"Troy!"

_Dammit Crystal..._

"Troy Please!"

Troy stopped then turned to her "What!"

"Troy I'm sorry, I was just worried... I shouldn't have pried."

He shook his head. " N-no I'm sorry, I'm just really on edge lately."

She nodded. "I understand. Let's just enjoy the rest of our time here alright?"

"Yeah." He took her hand and they went to have lunch.

He kissed Crystal as they reached her door, and then started his walk home.

As he turned a corner he saw them, three of them, getting closer. He ran in the other direction.

"HEY!"

He ran through the door bursting past a couple, running down the street.

"TROY!"

Troy looked around for somewhere to hide, and then jumped down into the canal, hiding in the shadows.

"Fuck."

"Where'd that little shit go?"

"This way."

He could hear them run away, but he stood there, listening for a long time.

With a sigh he started climbing up to the street, when he felt a strong grip on his ankle, and with a hard pull he fell into the water.

Water shot up his nose, and he accidentally swallowed a mouthful, pushing himself up he gasped for air, choking. He barely got a lungful when someone pushed him back into the water. No matter how he struggled he couldn't release himself from the assailants grip.

He couldn't hold his breath any longer and gasped, sucking in more water. His head and lungs were burning, he screamed wriggling, trying to get free.

Troy slowly started to fade away, he could hear his heart pounding, then suddenly he was pulled up out of the water, and someone punched him in the gut. He coughed up the water and gasped for breath, his head was still spinning from the lack of air.

"Thought you could get away with it, huh Troy?"

Troy looked up and saw Jess, and mentally cursed. He tried to pull away, but two guys grabbed him and held him steady. "Get away with what?"

She smacked him across his face, and Troy could taste blood. "Don'... Where's the money?"

He was shaking. "I... I got your money, I swear."

"Then why'd you run Troy?"

"I-I mean it's on the way..."

She shook his head. "Too bad cause you need it now. What am I supposed to do, Troy? What am I gonna tell my boss?" Jess carefully took out a pocket knife and unfolded it.

"P-please, please... I'll have it Monday, I swear."

"Course you will." She stepped over to him and lifted the knife to Troy's face; he could feel the tip digging into his cheek.

"No! Please! Please, please!"

She looked up at him. "You just don't get it do you Troy? You were supposed to have the money a week ago, how am I gonna make up for that? How do I make sure you get the picture?"

"I got it, I got it, please..."

Jess inspected the knife, and then smiled. Troy started to whimper as she motioned to one of the other guys, who started unbuckling Troy's belt and she started lowering the knife to his...

"TOMORROW! I HAVE IT TOMORROW!"

Jess stopped, and looked up at Troy, smiling. "Tomorrow?"

"Please, early, like six, please...!"

She sighed then, to Troy's great relief, put away the knife.

"Tomorrow at six, Neptune's Bounty, you better have it Troy." She patted Troy on his cheek then turned motioning to the other three guys. The guy who was holding him still gave him a big shove into the water.

Troy lay in the water for a long time shaking.

_How? How am I supposed to get $500 by a Six! But if I don't get it... I'm fucking DEAD..._

His legs still shaking, he pushed himself up ran stumbled all the way home.

Before heading into his house he shot some more EVE into his arm, trying to take some of the edge off, then headed into his house. His dad was gone; working late at Ryan Industries, his mom was probably asleep...

He headed into his parents room without making too much noise he started searching the place. His moms purse, the drawers, everywhere. He'd found about $150.

He froze when his mother started moving around in her sleep, and when she was still went to the closet.

He found a safe in the closet, and hacked it.

Now he had $300!

He swallowed and slipped out of his parent's room.

_Not enough... oh god...!_

Troy grabbed his old football helmet and went out.

He couldn't believe he was doing this. He felt lower then dirt, as he took out Crystal's spare key and walked into her house, he carefully listened for any noise in the house...

Running water, she was in the shower. He could also hear 'It's Bad for Me' playing in her room.

Troy quickly started ransacking the place. When he found her purse he found her wallet, she still had $430!

He stuffed the money into his pockets and made his way to the door, when he heard the water from the shower shut off.

_SHIT!_

Troy looked around frantically for a place to hide, and ducked into the coat closet. Crystal was humming to the record, and came out in a towel, brushing her dripping hair. "Oh my god...Oh... Oh my god!"

She ran into the front room and he could hear her murmuring, and freaking out.

_I'm sorry Crystal..._

Troy ran for the exit, he heard Crystal scream, she must have seen him.

He kept his head down and ran as fast as he could and didn't stop until he was far away from the house... He didn't go home that night; he went straight to Neptune's Bounty. And sat there all night, jamming more EVE into his wrists.

Troy felt a tap on his forehead. Jess stood there with the three from the night before.

"I'm guessing you got it?"

He reached into his pockets and shakily handed over all the money he had.

She counted all the money, and then tossed him back $50. "Buy yourself some coffee or somethin'." He could see the pity in her eyes...

Troy sat there for a long time after they left. Then grabbed the money and went to the nearest vending machine and bought all the EVE he could.

Then in a daze he started walking home, and shot up on EVE again.

"WHERE WERE YOU!"

His dad...

"All the money we had, WAS IT YOU!"

_Shut up..._

"Answer me!"

_Shut up..._

"DAMN IT TROY!"

"SHUT UP!"

Before Troy knew what was happening his dad was on the floor... blood spurting from his head...

**1959 October 3** **rd**

"It.. wasn't my fault... I... I just... I'm sorry... I'm sorry mom... dad... I... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Troy sobbed and held himself, crying. "I just wanna go to sleep... just wanna go to..."

" **Look Mr. B! An angel!"**

_Adam..._

" **Good girls gather... gather, gather..."**

"Give it to me... GIVE IT TO ME!"

She saw him, screamed and ran. **"UNZIP HIM MR. B! UNZIP HIM!"**

Troy charged at her, and then felt immense pain.

Looking down, he could see the Big Daddy's drill had gone through his stomach...

He fell and stared at the ceiling, numb all over, choking on his blood.

_I just wanna... wanna..._


	10. Walter Hamilton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I came here, to Rapture to reach my full potential. I was swayed by the words of Andrew Ryan, his talk of a paradise with no god, or government, no limits... now that I think about it... there's really no way it could have ever worked out."
> 
> -Walter Hamilton

Walter made his way through the rubble, looking for food. It had been three days since he's gotten anything real to eat.

How many years had it been since he had gone to a restaurant and ordered warm, well prepared food? Three or four?

All the energy in Rapture comes from the underwater vents, and probably will still be running hundreds of years from now, even after all of residents tear each other in pieces.

He stopped when he heard something moving. He turned to try and see what was lurking in the shadows... but couldn't see anything...

"What have you done with her...? My child... WHERE have you taken her?"

Walter froze, eyes wide scanning the area.

_Where is she... dammit... where..._

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Walter felt something sharp dig into his shoulder, he yelped and fell, pulling the hook from his skin, gasping in pain.

"GIVE HER BACK TO ME!" The splicer descended on him arms swinging wildly, when she screamed and fell back. It took him a moment to realize someone had shot her.

He stood up and saw a woman, she was wearing mask... another splicer?

"This way! Before she gets back!"

He rose to his feet and followed her, when they got far enough she pulled him down and they hid, close together in silence for a long time.

The girl rose and looked around. "I think we're safe..."

He sighed. "Thank you."

"You need to be more careful... what were you doing out here?"

"I was looking for food, what are you doing out here?"

"...looking for Atlas."

"Atlas?"

"Yeah... and the other survivors... I've heard Atlas has a place full of people... and it's safe from the splicers."

"You really think there's a place like that?"

She shrugged. "I...I don't know.. but I don't have anywhere else to go..."

He looked around. "Are you by yourself?"

She nodded. "Y-yes."

"We should stay together, just in case all right?"

He couldn't see her face, but he could see an uncertain look in her eyes. "O-okay... you're bleeding..."

He looked back to his shoulder. "Yes..." He reached in his bag for a first aid kid, and wrapped up the wound after applying the proper medicine. "It'll be fine, now do you have any idea... uh... where this safe haven may be...?"

She shook her head. "No..."

He sighed. "I see... well let's go shall we?"

She nodded and followed him.

"So... what's your name?"

She didn't say anything, and just continued walking.

"Hm... That's fine you don't have to tell me. My name is Walter Hamilton."

She remained silent, and did not look at him.

He sighed, and gave up trying to make conversation.

After hours of walking, he fell down onto a bench. "What I wouldn't do for some fin gin and an Oxford cigar..."

The girl shifted uncomfortably, and went to a vending machine, she came back with some chips and little cakes.

"Ah, thank you..."

They ate in silence, Walter wasn't used to company... well at least company that didn't try to bash your head in, or burn your house down. He only wished she'd say something, he longed for a conversation with sane person. He hated the silence in Rapture... hated it even more then the screaming. At least when he heard the screams it meant he wasn't alone... alone in this pit, alone at the bottom of the ocean.

Walter could feel her body heat; he could hear her breathing, see her chest rise and fall. It had been so long since he'd been with someone...

He rolled his eyes; he was far too old to be thinking of that with a girl who barely looked twenty.

His eyes traveled up to the mask.

_Why would she wear that I wonder... is she a splicer?_

He looked at her arms...

_No, no puncture marks... and if she was a splicer she'd have more deterioration, not just her face... and she would sound more incoherent._

He sighed and finished off his ships.

_A steak would be marvelous... medium well, with mashed potatoes..._

He shook the image out of his mind, before it drove him insane. Then he wiped his hands and stood. "Well if you're ready."

She nodded and stood up, and they continued.

They soon found an abandoned hotel room, and decided to stay there for the night.

He let Katie sleep on the bed, but was mentally cursing sleeping on the hard floor.

He remembered when he had an apartment in Olympus Heights, back when he was a Doctor... was he still? Not really. When ADAM had been introduced and healed all ailments a person could have, he really stopped being a doctor, in his opinion. He spent a few years doing surgery, but became fed up and quit.

He wanted to help people, he wanted to be relevant! He didn't want to cut up people's faces, or drill people's teeth.

But his job was made irrelevant. So much for all those years of college.

He sighed and saw a record player in the corner. He walked over and checked it...

_Still in working order..._

He looked at the old record, it looked all right. He put on the record and waited, and was greeted by music.

The girl jumped, not expecting the music. "What?"

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

She nodded. "It's okay..."

After a minute or so he stood up and offered the girl his hand. "Care to dance mystery lady?"

She stared at him for a moment, then she slowly took his hand and he spun her around. At first she was staring at her feet, and counting, trying to stay in rhythm. Then she looked up and started really dancing.

He remembered when he used to go to all sorts of parties and danced to the same music, surrounded by the masters of high society.

_Those were the days..._

He spun her around again, then dipped her, and her mask fell off.

"NO!"

Her face...

Someone had pulled up a side of her face, her left eye was pulled down, and her lip was ripped and sagged down, her nose... He recognized the scars on her face..

Someone had... Someone cut up her face...

She screamed, and covered her face, then pushed away from him sobbing.

He was frozen not sure how to react as she ran out clutching the mask.

"Come back!"

He ran out after her, trying desperately to keep up, soon he caught up with her. She was huddled in a corner, crying.

He came close to her and tried to touch her shoulder, but she shrank away.

"It's all right... It's okay... who did this to you?"

She continued to cry for a while, not looking at him. "St-Steinman... he... he tied me down.. and... and... he..."

He reached out and touched her arm, she jerked and tried to run, but he grabbed her, holding her still. "Shh... it's all right... it's okay..."

It was a long time until she calmed down he led her to a bench as she clutched her mask, he sat her down.

"K-Katie..."

"What?"

"My name is Katie... B-Bastone..."

"All right Katie... Katie... if you want... I think I can help you..."

"What?"

"I think I can... fix your face..."

She sniffed. "How?"

"I have some experience in surgery if-"

"NO! NEVER NEVER AGAIN!" She jumped up hitting him wildly.

He grabbed Katie's arms. "Okay! Okay! Calm down... I'm not going to hurt you Katie..."

She was shaking, then swallowed, and sat down again.

"Now we still need to find Atlas, right?"

She nodded.

"Then we need a good rest, and in the morning we'll start looking again, all right?"

"O...okay..."

Katie was finally asleep; she'd been tossing and turning for hours...

_Poor thing..._

He'd met Steinman a long time ago, he almost couldn't believe the horror she had told him... almost.

This place destroyed people. Why should he be surprised that a perfectionist like Steinman would go off the deep end?

But to do that...

_Do no harm indeed._

He leaned back and sighed. Closing his eyes…

When Walter woke up his back was awful stiff, he cursed and twisted hearing a small crack, he was rubbing his shoulders when he saw that Katie was gone.

"Katie? KATIE!"

He ran out looking around. No sign of her.

"Katie! Dammit!"

He ran, trying to find her, but found nothing. No trace.

Walter returned to where they had stayed the night.

Maybe she had just left to find some food...

But as the hours went by he knew he was only fooling himself.

He left the room and began to search for Atlas.

It had been weeks, when he stumbled on a battle ground...

Or what was left on one.

He checked the bodies, the blood was fresh... it had happened recently...

He heard a groan from a form nearby, he rushed to him and started wrapping up his wounds. He was young; maybe eighteen years old, he was a normal boy.

When he was finishing up he heard a voice calling.

He looked around and found a radio.

"Hello?"

For a moment there was silence. "Who is this?" A thick Irish accent.

"Walter Hamilton, I'm a doctor."

"Where are my boys?"

"From the looks of it, all dead, except one, but I need to get him somewhere safe."

"Shit, all right, get movin' to the nearest Bathysphere."

"Who is this?"

"My name's Atlas."

Walter was blown away. "So it's true! You got some safe haven in Rapture?"

"Yes, but you'd better get movin' now!"

Walter lifted the boy and went to the Bathysphere; he followed Atlas' instructions and found himself at Atlas' base. There were armed men and woman all around the entrance.

"He's not a splicer, let him in!"

As he came into the haven a woman ran out to him. "Jimmy!" She grabbed the boy and started crying. "What happened?"

"Splicers, I think, I wasn't there for that bit."

Some men came down and took the boy away.

"Hey you. Head upstairs Atlas wants to have a word with you."

He stared at the man who gave the order then went up to where the man had pointed to.

When he entered the room he saw lots of equipment, and a bed. A woman was asleep in it, and in the chair was a dark haired man, his hair was long enough to reach his shoulders, but was pulled back in a messy pony tail.

"Who are you?"

"Atlas."

He scoffed. "Bullshit, Atlas must be at least fifty years old by now, you can't be more than twenty!"

"Turning twenty next month actually." He said, no accent this time.

"Who are you?"

"My real name's Landon, but as far as anyone else is concerned, I'm Atlas."

"Where's the real Atlas?"

Landon laughed. "Bastard died years ago, but the people here still think of Atlas as a hero, so I pretend to be Atlas. Or his son, or Atlas reborn, or whatever the people in Rapture want me to be."

"So what do you want from me?"

"You're a doctor right?"

"Yes."

He motioned to the woman on the bed. "Her."

Walter walked over to her; she was pale, and sweating. Her arms and legs were twitching in her sleep. He opened one of her eyes, examined it, and then stepped back. "Withdrawal."

"What?"

"Has this woman ever used plasmids, ADAM?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"She's stopped using it, and she's going onto withdrawal. Not many people that start abusing ADAM can stop, and when they do it's extremely painful. Most die from it, but perhaps it's better than the alternative of turning into a mindless monster."

Landon looked pale and rubbed his head. "Is... Is there anything I can do?"

Walter stared at him. "Her body has grown a dependency on ADAM. So it's working double to try and function, so she's overheating, you'll need to keep her cool until this phase is over, also try to keep her dry, her sweat will cool and chill her, so be ready to bundle her up too when her body finally recovers... if it recovers... Besides that... there's really nothing you can do."

Landon swallowed then sat down next to her. "Thank you..."

Walter decided it was best to leave them alone, and headed out; he looked back and saw Landon kiss her forehead...

_Katie..._

Why was he thinking of her now?

He sat in the shelter, and ate some fish with the others... He made a few rounds and helped anyone who needed medical attention, and also checked on Jimmy. Who was doing fine.

Then he left to search for her.

He couldn't do much more for these people at this moment, but she still needed him.

It was silly, to stick your neck out for someone you hardly knew… but he felt like he had to. He wanted to do it.


	11. Antony Wallace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Fish, I fucking hate fish! God, I don't want to do this anymore! I'm good enough! I'm smart enough! And I'm gonna make a name for myself in Rapture!"
> 
> -Antony Wallace

Antony jabbed his knife into the lower side of the fish, from the anus to its lip . He reached in and started pulling out the guts. Some fell out fairly easy, but he had to dig in and rip out some at the head, throwing them to the side. He took a deep breath, as he threw the fish with the others he had gutted, then grabbed another. He continued this cycle for hours then took the fish to be skinned.

He sighed, usually during work he could tune out the world and work in a sort of trance-like state which helped this tedious work go bye faster, but not today, today work was the longest it had ever been in his two years of working.

He had tried for a job at Fontaine Futuristics, today he would find out if he got the job.

He couldn't focus on anything; he was too excited, too nervous.

He took hold of another fish but it slipped and he dropped it.

"Antony!"

Oh shit.

As soon as he turned around he was greeted by a punch to the face. He fell back from the force of it. Then looked up to see a pissed of Peach.

"What the h-hell is wrong with you, six, SIX fish you've dropped today, every fish y-you drop costs us money! Get yer act together b-boy!"

His eyes found his father, who wasn't looking at him, just skinning fish. Ignoring him. "Y-yes sir..."

_Crazy bastard..._

Peach stormed off, and everyone got back to work.

Peach was always a suspicious, jerk. But lately... he was just losing it. Like everyone was out to get him.

Antony rubbed his cheek and stood up returning to work.

"Antony, time to turn in for the day."

He nodded. "All right dad." Antony washed the blood off his gloves and changed from his uniform. He eagerly headed out, catching up with his dad.

"Uh hey, I got some errands to run, okay?"

His dad stopped. "What? Errands? What errands?"

"I just got to pick up somethin'."

He nodded. "Yeah, sure just get home before eleven all right?"

He smiled and took off. "Sure thing pop!"

He took a bee line to his friend Jimmy's house.

"Did they call?"

He stared coldly at him. "No, and why'd you give 'em my number anyway?"

"'Cause no one's home to take the call, and my dad would cuss out the guy on the phone

and make me loose the job!"

Jimmy shook his head. "Why should your dad care?"

He shrugged. "Don't know, but he's never liked me talkin' about what I want to do."

"Guess he wants you guttin' fish for the rest of your life."

Antony sighed. "Yeah no kiddin'."

The two of them sat together for a few hours, a few people called, but none were for Antony.

"I'm sorry Antony."

"Sorry?"

Jimmy stood up. "I mean, you've been sittin' here for ages... you must not have.."

Jimmy was cut off by the phone ringing.

They stared at each other and Antony took a deep breath and picked up the phone.

"H-hello?"

"Antony Wallace?"

His stomach flipped. "Yes sir."

"Congratulations, you start at Fontaine Futuristics Monday morning at five A.M., and don't be late."

"R-right... thank you..." He dropped the phone. "YES! HA HA!"

"You got it!"

"What do you think!"

Jimmy laughed, Antony's enthusiasm catching. "All right, Mr. Big Shot Scientist, what say we go out and get some drinks?"

"That's Assistant, and sure as long as YOUR paying!"

"Assistant?"

He smiled. "Yeah, for now."

The two boys went out and got a few beers at the Fighting McDonagh's and stumbled back home.

He woke up on the couch to his dad. "Hey, get up. Dammit Antony."

"Wh-what?"

"Time to go to work, get up."

Antony tried telling his dad about his new job at Fontaine Futuristics, but he just couldn't get the words out, his head was pounding too much.

All morning at the fisheries felt like hell, he was so hung over he could barely work.

But he managed to make it through the rest of the day, relatively unharmed.

At the end of the day he changed out from his uniform for the last time. Feeling more confident he went to meet up with his dad at the front of Fontaine Fisheries, but stopped when he heard Peach's voice.

"...you to go send him the message."

He heard his dad sigh. "Look I know Fontaine's not makin' things easy for us... but Ryan... if he finds about the sub..."

"We don't got a choice! We gotta choose now, before it's too late!"

"And you're gonna go with Ryan?"

"Dad?"

The two turned, started by him. Peach shook his head. "We'll talk about this later..."

Peach went back inside the Fisheries.

"What was that about dad?"

His dad shook his head. "Nothing you need to worry about."

They started walking home, if there was a time to tell him...

"Hey dad..?"

"Yeah?"

"I... I'm quitting my job at the Fisheries.."

His dad laughed. "No you're not."

"Yes I am. Dad I'm gonna be an assistant at Fontaine Futuristics."

His dad shook his head, not laughing anymore. "Son, you don't got a chance to-"

"No Dad, I already have the job! I'm starting tomorrow."

His dad stopped, dead in his tracks and stared at Antony for a long time, then just turned from him and walked home, not looking at him even once...

He went to bed early that night, and woke up early the morning after that. He grabbed a fancy suit he'd been saving for a while, then combed his hair, brushed his teeth, anything and everything he could to give the best first impression.

"Dad?"

Antony looked around the apartment... his dad wasn't there... he didn't have to be at work for another hour...

He hadn't spoken to Antony the night before either...

_Whatever... let him sulk._

Antony made his way to Fontaine Futuristics as fast as he could, his heart was pounding with anticipation.

When he reached Fontaine Futuristics he was approached by a tall, dark haired woman.

"Are you the assistant I was told about?"

He nodded. "Yes Ma'am."

She sighed. "Come with me."

Antony followed the woman to the laboratories, where she sat down at a desk.

"You will be assisting me in my daily work, and experiments. You will do whatever I tell you, understand?"

He nodded. "Yes ma'am."

She turned and started writing for a moment, then stopped and turned back to face him. "Also, you are not to speak of anything that goes on in this laboratory."

He nodded. "Yes, yes ma'am!"

She handed him contract and he anxiously sighed it.

The rest of the day was... boring to say the least, in fact, the whole week was.

Antony was an errand boy.

He had figured he'd be doing some grunt work, but this was not what he had expected.

One day he was filing Miss Tenenbaum's papers when he heard screaming and banging.

"Wallace! WALLACE!"

At the sound of Tenenbaum calling him he stood and ran for the source of the commotion, and found Tenenbaum and another scientist in the lab, trying to hold down a little girl.

"What are you standing there for, HELP US!"

He ran to them and took hold of her; she squirmed and screamed as he moved her on to the table.

"Quickly, tie her down!"

Antony tied the girl down with the leather straps as the other man, Dr. Suchong, slipped a mask over her face and turned on the gas, the girls screamed and tugged but slipped into unconsciousness.

For a moment Antony wasn't sure exactly what just happened. Then with a cold feeling in his gut,turned to Tenenbaum. "What's going on?"

Tenenbaum looked away from him.

"Answer me! Who is she?"

She sighed then sat down at one of the desks. "She is one of our test subjects for our new project."

"Test subject? This little girl!"

Tenenbaum glared at him. "In order for scientific progress to be made there must be sacrifices..."

"Sacrifices!"

The other doctor pushed past him. "Suchong is done for the day."

Tenenbaum turned and tried to say something to him, but Suchong had already left.

"What do you mean sacrifices! This isn't what I signed up for!"

"You signed up to be my assistant, yes? You want to be a scientist, yes? This is how you do it. Or would you rather gut fish?"

Antony couldn't sleep that night, and he had barely touched the food he had made for himself. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't experiment on little girls... could he? But he wouldn't go back to the fisheries, he's rather die than be trapped in that stink hole every again.

He heard the door to the apartment open. His father returning from the fisheries. He wanted to talk to him, to tell him what had happened. He wanted his father to listen to him and give him some sort of advice or solace, but Antony knew better.

His father had never been the type to give advice, or think for that matter. All his father ever did was work, get the job done. His father was a nobody. Not worthy of enjoying the finer things life had to offer. No one would ever know his name; no one would ever see him as something other than a faceless nobody, making a life by gutting and skinning fish.

Antony would not follow his example.

People would see Antony, they would know his name, seek out his intellect, and call on him for advice and counsel. He wouldn't let himself become his father.

After a few minutes he saw the door to his room open slightly, he closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. He heard the silent pad of footsteps get closer until they stopped just behind him. He heard a weary sigh, and then his father left and closed the door behind him.

Antony sat up and stared at the door. He took a deep breath and could smell fish, the stink lingering on his father's clothes. He shook his head as he heard the sound of running water, coming from the bathroom.

_I will never be like you..._

The next day he began his research with Tenenbaum on ADAM, and his experiments on the Little Sisters.

**November 23** **rd** **1956**

Antony sighed as he looked over the files again, his eyes straining to see the words, which now ran together and blurred. He was dead tired, he hadn't had a decent night's sleep in a long time. Tenenbaum came back into the room and handed him some coffee.

"Thanks."

"You should go home, get some rest."

He shook his head. "I've got to check these files once more before I turn them in."

"All right." Tenenbaum started to leave. "Also... your father tried to call you again..."

 _Again..._ "Right thanks."

She left Antony alone with his thoughts. His father had been trying to contact him for weeks. Antony had been ignoring his calls. He leaned back and sighed... it had been a long week...

After a hour or so Antony turned in his work and started for home, he was dead tired...

...Of course there was always some time for a quick drink before turning in. So he decided to stop by a bar.

"Hello again, Mr. Wallace, the usual?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Long night huh?"

"You're telling me..."

The bartender slide him his usual drink, Antony downed it, and the bartender filled his drink again. "You wanna talk about it?"

"No thanks... I just need a quick pick me up."

The bartender nodded. "Sure thing."

After an hour of so Antony found himself stumbling home. He wasn't piss drunk, but he had a heavy buzz. It took him forever to find his keys, and get the door to his house open, but when he finally did he closed the door and collapsed on the couch.

He slept for a few hours and was woken by his phone ringing. He rolled over ignoring it.

He was going to ignore it and get back to sleep, until he heard he father's frantic whispering. "...Antony... Antony... answer the phone... you've got to-" Antony stumbled to the phone and ripped the cord out from the wall.

"YOU STUPID OLD F***ER!" He kicked the table, and fell back onto the couch.

_Why! Why doesn't he just leave me alone! I'm sick of his ranting! !_

_...Damn it..._

The next day he went to his father's house, he was going to end it once and for all. He knocked on the door, no answer; he kept knocking, but still nothing. Luckily for him he knew where his dad hide the spare key and he let himself in.

"Dad! Where are you! I know you're here!" There was no answer.

The house was a wreck, empty bottles and EVE syringes were scattered all over the apartment.

"Jesus..." Antony looked around the apartment, but his father wasn't there. Antony checked under his dad's mattress. That's where his dad always hid important stuff.

What Antony found there made his blood run cold, they were journal entries, Peach was using his father for secret dealings between him and Ryan, and him and Fontaine. Peach was being ganged up on by both sides and now had pulled his father into it, paying him with ADAM. At first the notes and diary scraps made since but over time they turned to suspicious mindless gibberish.

_My god... what happened to you?..._

_Oh my god... It's the ADAM... I- I knew it caused... but... what was he trying to tell me? Where is he?_

… _Peach!_

Antony ran to the fisheries and pounded on the door until a little slot on the door opened.

"Who's t-there... Antony? The hell do you w-want b-boy!"

"Where's my dad?"

"Not here!" Peach slammed the slot shut.

"PEACH! Open this damn door or I'll tell Fontaine about your dealings with Ryan, or would you rather me go to Ryan! My dad had all the files to prove it Peach!"

After a minute Peach opened the door. "Get in."

Antony walked into the freezer and was jumped by the smugglers; he tried to fight back but only succeeded in getting kneed in the stomach. "Stop strugglin' boy."

"Where's my dad Peach!"

Peach didn't answer; he took a quick sip of whatever drink he had. "That's a f-fancy suit there b-boy, look like you've done yourself good."

"Where... is he?"

"Why should you give a damn? He said you h-hated him."

"JUST ANSWER THE GODDAMN QUESTION PEACH!"

Peach was quiet for a long time. "I had no choice... it was either me or him... I had to tell Fontaine that..."

It took a moment for Antony to understand what he was hearing. "You sold him out... YOU SOLD HIM OUT! You let him DIE! Where's his body!"

Peach was quiet. Then punched Antony so hard he fell back into the other smugglers. He could feel that his lip had been split. Peach grabbed him by the hair. "Now you listen to me you little punk YOU'RE just as g-guilty of all this as I AM! I did what I had to, to s-s-urvive! So did you!" Peach released his hair and took his father's diary notes and files from him. "Now you don't go r-runnin' your mouth to Fontaine or Ryan you hear m-me!" He nodded to the smugglers who let him go then went about their business.

Antony was still for a while, the guilt he felt. It was his fault. He'd abandoned his only family then ignored them when they had needed his help. He hated what his father stood for. Loss, complacency, and failure... but he was still his father...

"Antony... you and your father are a lot alike..." Peach sounded calm, more so than Antony had ever heard before. "You're both stubborn, it's probably why he never told you himself. But he was proud of you. All the time it was 'my boy' this and 'my boy' that... it was sickening. He knew you were angry at him. He told me he hated his old man too, that's why he stayed out of your way. He knew how you felt. Go home and forget about all this boy. It'll do you good."

_...Son of a bitch..._

The next day Antony Wallace turned in his resignation from Fontaine Futuristics. He wasn't sure where he was going to go but it couldn't be there. He didn't want any more guilt or blood on his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Today Antony moved out of the house, he got himself a job at Fontaine Futuristics! Our boy's movin' up! He's gonna be a scientist. You always knew he was smart... you'd be so proud of him. I'm just gonna stay out of his way, give him some room to grow. I am... so proud of him."
> 
> -George Wallace


	12. Trevor Terry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Today my dad gave me a gun! He said 'You've got to protect your mom and sister! You're a man now!' It's a lot heavier than I thought a gun would be. I can't wait to use it!"
> 
> -Trevor Terry

Trevor slammed the door his heart pounding as he locked it behind him, and pushed his weight against the door. "LUCY!" A few seconds later he felt a huge force hit the other side of the door.

"Trevor? What's going on!"

"Get grab the desk! Just grab the desk, grab anything! Hurry, hurry!"

Lucy started pushing the desk over to the door, Trevor pushed the desk the rest of the way. "Hold this."

"Okay!" Lucy pushed herself against the door as Trevor ran to find more stuff to barricade the door.

After he was sure the door was secured he grabbed Lucy and took her to the bathroom and locked the door.

"Sit down and shut up!"

She jumped in the tub. "But what about mom and dad what if they can't get in?"

"I said shut up!"

Trevor leaned against the door straining himself to hear the splicers outside.

For what felt like hours he and Lucy sat in the bathroom as quiet as they could. The screaming had finally died down, and the splicers were gone, for now...

"Trevor..?" Lucy whispered.

"Quiet Lucy..."

"...T-Trevor?"

He sighed. "What?"

"What about mom and dad...?"

"...they'll be fine Lucy..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure."

Trevor leaned against the door; Lucy was too little to understand that... their parents were never coming back. Their father went out for food a week ago, and when he didn't come back, their mother had gone to search for him. Neither of them had returned. And Trevor knew they probably never would...

"I'm hungry..."

Trevor sighed. He had gone out to find food... but he'd been spotted by a splicer that chased him down.

"I know... just... can you hang in there for a little while longer?"

She nodded. "Okay..."

He took a deep breath. "Okay, now don't say anything be as quiet as you can until I get back."

She nodded.

"And don't open this door unless I tell you to."

"Okay."

Carefully he opened the door and headed into the living room, closing the bathroom door. He slowly made his way into his room, and reached under his bed and pulled out his gun. He had five bullets left. Would that be enough? He made his way back to the door. The door was mostly intact, and most of the furniture had been knocked down, but by the looks of it the barricade had held out, the splicer must have gotten bored and run off. He carefully opened the door; just enough for him to slip threw. Then he carefully closed the door behind him. He slunk around in the shadows and when he heard voices he ducked under cover until they faded away.

He found an old broken vender and picked up a few creme filled cakes lying on the ground, when he heard gunfire and wailing. He jumped behind the broken vending machine and pulled his legs to his chest, barely able to breathe.

"It's MINE do you hear me! MINE! Give it back! Give it BACK"

More shots and flashing lights, then after a few minutes of struggling he heard two groans.

Then... nothing... there was nothing. After a few more minutes he gathered the courage to look out.

He saw two bloody, sizzling figures lying in the streets; the two splicers killed each other in the fight.

In one of the splicers hands was... ADAM... he knew he should have just walked away... he shouldn't touch it... but he could...

He could protect himself... and Lucy... his parents used plasmids too... why not?

Trevor carefully pulled back the splicers fingers; he plugged his nose desperately trying not to think about what he was touching, then when he had it he ran trying not to puke.

He soon slowed to a walk when he saw a Gatherers Garden... timidly he walked up to the machine and looked at the choices. His first instinct was to buy something like Incinerate or Electro Bolt... but after he got to thinking he started to consider Sports Boost, or Armored Shell... he wasn't sure how much ADAM he had, so he bought Sports Boost. And he still had some ADAM so he thought over it for a moment... and bought Electro Bolt.

He heard some footsteps and ran, ducking into a bathroom, locking himself in a cubicle. He carefully took the needle and filled it with the plasmid.

He took a deep breath, and jabbed the needle into his arm, and suddenly he was on fire, he started twitching like a maniac, and screaming. He couldn't breathe, and he started involuntarily slamming himself against the bathroom door, until he passed out.

Trevor woke to the sound of banging on the cubicle door. "Hey open up in there I gotta take a leak!"

For a moment he wasn't sure what to do.

"I SAID OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

Trevor started to panic and stood up, and realized he was standing almost knee deep in water.

Perfect.

He carefully stood up on the toilet and shot a bolt of electricity into the water, the splicer let out a wail and after a few moments the cubicle went dark, and the splicer went quiet.

Carefully Trevor opened the door and he could see the splicer floating face up in the water... he had never killed anyone before... he slowly reached out and touched the man's cheek. The body was still warm... and his eyes were still open. Staring vacantly at the ceiling.

Trevor stepped out of the bathroom feeling... different... he felt like he didn't have to hide anymore. He was strong! He felt invincible.

He went back to the broken vender and shot it with a few blasts of Electro Bolt. And out flew more food! He ran up to it and gathered as much as he could and started for home.

He decided to eat one of the cakes. He figured he deserved it.

As he reached the bottom of a flight of stairs he suddenly felt strange... light headed...

And then he saw his mother.

"Mom? Is that...?"

She didn't look at him, she looked like a ghost... she was see through and glowing...

" _Johnathan? Is that you..? Where are you John? John?"_

Trevor ran for her, but as he reached her she disappeared...

For a moment he wasn't sure what it was he had seen, but then he remembered something he heard his parents talking about. It was a side effect of plasmids. A person's memory is imprinted in the ADAM and Plasmids and you can see their memories.

But what happened to his mother?

He ran down the hall he thought he saw her go. He was seeing his mother's memories... did that mean his mother was... dead? And what about his dad?

He entered a large hall; he could see decorations hanging from the ceiling. Tattered and worn. He could make out 'Happy Birthday' something, something...

He ate another creme filled cake and started looking around. He was feeling kind of low... and drained after shocking the vending machine... he probably needed EVE to recharge himself. So he looked around for a spare EVE syringe.

He wasn't completely comfortable with the needles yet... but he had decided it was definitely worth it.

He finally found one under a table. Trevor slid under the table, and after taking a deep breath injected himself with EVE. After a moment of euphoria he heard... laughing?

He poked his head out from under the table cloth and for a moment was stunned. He saw a large group of people they were laughing, and dancing, wearing expensive suits and dresses.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank you all for joining me this evening for my forty-sixth birthday. I'm not very good at speeches so, a toast. To the future."_

The people cheered and faded away.

_Yeah some great future..._

He was starting to feel a little nauseous and continued through the halls.

"Mom?"

Nothing.

He found a door that was jammed, there was a manual switch sparking next to it, he shocked it and the door opened. He was sure his mom went in here... but he knew he shouldn't. He should head home to Lucy. He shook his head dismissing the dread and went inside. The door shut behind him, locking behind him.

He jumped and ran back to the door, but it wouldn't open.

"No! No! Come on!"

He turned around wide eyed. The room was pitch black, but he was not alone. He could hear laughing, and a strange clanking sound echoing through the darkness.

Trevor stayed against the wall, and headed down the stairs, at the bottom steps his foot slipped and he landed in water. He heard laughing again. He pushed himself up and went back up the first few stairs.

Then he got an idea and shot an Electro Bolt into the water and the room lit up with a dim light...

He wished he hadn't done that.

The walls and ceiling was swarming with spider splicers. And they charged.

Trevor shot a few Electro Bolt at the splicers; he pulled out his gun and shot a few bullets. But there were too many. He saw out of the corner of his eye an opening in the wall as the light faded away. He ran for it threw the freezing cold water, he could hear the clanking of the spider splicers scraping against the wall. Trevor felt a sharp metal hook rip into his back. He screamed and collapsed into the water. He stood up again choking and stumbling, threw the black.

He finally reached the hole in the wall and struggled and pushed himself as far as he could go.

"Come back!"

"Come out little fishy!"

"Get out of there!"

He heard the splicers hooks clanging and scraping against the metal pipes that he was using as a shield.

He started to shoot bolts at the splicers and into the water.

There were so many... he could never kill them all... he was trapped.

He felt the rush of air as the hooks flew by his head; the sliced threw his flesh so easily.

He started to shiver... they would break through the pipes soon and rip him to pieces...

Trevor checked his gun. He only had one bullet left.

Sobbing he took a deep breath and lifted the gun up to his head. He couldn't tell when he pulled the trigger, and he didn't feel the pain. The Armored Shell he had bought gave him a few more seconds to live.

Soon the splicers all faded away and he saw people, dressed in fancy clothes.

" _Do you Johnathan Terry take this woman to be..."_

"D-ad?"

" _I do."_

" _And do you Charlotte take this man to be your..."_

"Mom?"

" _I do."_

Trevor was fading in and out of the vision. He saw his parents kiss, and then it all went black.

Lucy held on to the stranger carrying her, she was still crying.

"Hello there my dear."

A tall woman entered the room. Lucy was placed on the ground. The woman kneeled to her. "What's your name?"

"Lucy..."

The woman nodded. "Hello Lucy, my name is Sophia Lamb, and I need your help."

"You do?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"I-I have to find my brother..."

"We'll find him don't worry. But right now I want you to go with Dr. Alexander. He'll take good care of you."

Lucy looked at him, he smiled and lead her to a table and sat her down. "Now we're going to have to give you a shot, it'll only hurt for a second, alright?"

"I don't like shots!"

The woman touched her shoulder. "It's alright Lucy, after you take your shot we'll go find your brother."

Lucy nodded, and the man took her arm. "My mommy and daddy are gone too..."

"Don't worry about that, we'll find them."

She felt the prick from the needle and let out a little squeak.

"And there we go... lean back."

Then man laid her down on the table and she quickly fell asleep.

"I can't believe we found the girl alive. She's the perfect age for the new gatherer/protector program."

"Yes, I will leave her to you Doctor Alexander."

Sophia Lamb left the room and returned to her work.

And there was so much left to be done.


	13. Jodie Stane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "My parents belong to high society. My father built up his business from nothing, and my mother has always supported him in his business... but they've been unfaithful for as long as I can remember. I've watched them play this game of theirs for years. But now it's not just them getting their hurting. It's disgusting."
> 
> –Jodie Stane

Jodie took her tutors hand and he twirled around. She carefully followed his lead, being sure not to look down at her feet. He led her across the floor in rhythm to the music. She was so sure of herself today, she felt like every step was perfect. And as the music stopped, her tutor hugged her in delight.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

She smiled feeling a little flushed. "You really think so?"

He nodded. "Yes my dear, you're brilliant, none of my other students caught on so quickly! I think your parents will be pleased!"

"Oh I am."

Her father stood in the doorway; she ran to him and kissed his cheek. "Hello daddy!"

"Hello sweet heart! I think that will be all for today."

Her father paid her dance tutor and walked over to then den. "Jodie, I want to talk to you about something very important."

She nodded. "Yes?"

"In a few weeks you'll be twenty. And I think it's time you got out there..."

She swallowed, not feeling so great anymore. "What do you mean?"

"The other day I met a bright boy. He's from a wealthy family, and I want you to meet him."

She shook her head, "I don't want to meet him."

Her father stood motionless for a moment. "That's not your choice. I could have kicked you out when you turned eighteen. How long do you think you'd last on the streets? Rapture is an unforgiving place, especially for homeless vagrants."

"But dad-"

He lifted his hand silencing her. "That's enough Jodie. The sooner you leave this house the better."

"Now Howard, is that really the best way to talk to our only child?" Jodie's mother stood in the doorway dressed in her silk bathrobe. Her father seemed to get more ridged.

"Amelia..."

Her mother took a sip of wine. "Run along Jodie, it's time for your piano lessons in a few minutes isn't it?"

Jodie nodded. "Yes mother..."

Jodie grabbed her purse and left for her classes. It was a short walk to her tutor's home so she decided to stop by Helen's house. Helen was her housekeeper for eight years, until her mother kicked Helen out because of her father's affair with her. Her's lasted the longest. Jodie couldn't understand her parents. As a child she wondered why they didn't just leave each other instead of trying to hurt one another. But now she realized it had to do with their pride. So on and on they went with their little dance, squashing all the people foolish enough to get too involved. Jodie had narrowly escaped being stepped on quite a few occasions. And for her parents Helen was merely a stepping stone. But to Jodie, she was more like a mother. But it wasn't just Helen she wanted to visit. It was her brother, Fredrick Stane. Although most knew him as Freddy Brent. He was three years younger than she was, and he was her father's greatest shame. If he had been a normal child her father might have not bothered with him. But Freddy wasn't normal...

Jodie knocked on the door and Helen answered the door. "Jodie! Hello sweetheart!" She hugged her. "Come on in, I was just making supper!"

Jodie shook her head. "Sorry Helen, I can't stay too long, I just wanted to give Freddy a present."

She smiled. "Sure he's in his room."

Jodie walked down the hall and knocked on Freddy's door.

"Who's there?"

"It's me Freddy!"

Freddy ran out and hugged her. "Jodie! I missed you Jodie!"

"I missed you too!"

Freddy was a very tall boy, his head almost reached the top of the door, but he was very thin, too. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his room grabbing one of his toys. "Look! Look what momma gave me! Isn't it pretty?"

Jodie nodded. "Yes it is. And I've got something for you too!"

His eyes widened in a childish wonderment. "Really? R-really? What is it Jodie? What?"

She gave him a book, and he seemed disappointed. "Another one?"

She smiled. "Yeah that's right, can you read it for me?"

He shook his head wildly. "No... "

"Will you try? For me?"

He finally took the book and tried to read it. "No, I can't... I can't read it Jodie..."

She nodded. "It's okay Freddy now, drink this." She handed him a vial of brain boost.

"I don't want any more of that stuff..."

"But it'll make you feel better! I promise!"

He was quiet for a moment then took it and drank it making unpleasant noises. "It's nasty!"

"I know, but drink it all..."

He complained but he did. "Okay Jodie... I drank it now..."

"Yes, now try to read the book again!"

"Do I have to Jodie?"

She nodded. "Yes. Please?"

He picked up the book and stared at the words, then he started reading it! Jodie couldn't help but feel excited. It was working! Freddy knew the words, he just wasn't good at reading them, and the tonic was making him smarter. Little my little. And once she got the final brain boost tonic she prayed Freddy would be normal... Freddy had a really hard time remembering things. Sometimes he'd forget where he was or what he was doing. One time he forgot where he lived and spent hours circling the block, crying. He didn't realize he passed his house three or four times.

He smiled at her. "I can read it now! I can read it now Jodie!"

She hugged him. "Of course! You know these words. Keep reading okay? I have to go."

He frowned. "When will you be back Jodie?"

She sighed. "Soon I promise. She hugged him. Love you Freddy."

He waved. "I love you too Jodie..." And he went back to reading the book.

Helen was setting the table for Freddy when Jodie came out. "Are you sure you don't want dinner?"

"Yeah I have to get going to my piano lessons. I'm already late." She hugged Helen "See you later!"

"Goodbye baby."

Jodie ran to her piano tutor's house. Cursing herself and hoping Miss Culpepper wouldn't be too cross with her. She was a singer in Rapture who was growing in popularity, and her father had pulled some strings to get these classes. She was turning a corner when she bumped into someone.

"Oh I'm-" He ran off, not looking at her or saying anything to her. "...Sorry..."

She went to knock on the door, but it opened when she got near. It was unlocked?

Jodie stepped inside the home. "Hello?"

Nothing..?

There was a sick feeling in her stomach as she ran upstairs. "Hello? Are you here?"

Jodie stepped into Anna Culpepper's room, and saw signs of a struggle and in the bathtub lay her body

Jodie screamed and fell back and ran out of the apartment.

Helen sat with her until the police came. Helen wrapped her in a blanket as they asked her questions.

"Did you see anyone leaving the apartment ?"

She shook her head. "No..."

"Did you see anyone at all? Any suspicious looking characters?"

"...Yes... I think so. I bumped into someone who was in a big hurry, they didn't say anything and just kept walking..."

He nodded. "Can you describe this person?"

She tried so hard to remember, but she hadn't been paying attention. "He was... uh... tall... with uh... black hair... I'm sorry. I can't remember."

He nodded. "I understand." He pulled out a card with a number on it. "Call me if you remember anything else. Okay? It's Cross."

She nodded. "Okay."

Her father ran up to her. And grabbed onto her. "Jodie! Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine..."

He stopped when he saw Helen. Then he stiffened. "Helen... thank you... for staying with her."

Helen nodded, not looking at him. "Of course. I'd never leave her by herself, sir."

Howard shook his head. "You don't have to call me sir... you don't work for me anymore."

Helen looked away from him. "Yes. Mr. Stane..."

Helen rubbed Jodie's shoulders. "You go home, sweetheart. Get some rest alright?"

Jodie hugged her. "Thank you Helen."

She went home with her father and went upstairs to try to get some sleep but tossed and turned all night.

Jodie woke up to her parents arguing, again...

She got dressed and went downstairs to get some breakfast. But after she had gotten some she couldn't eat, every time she started chewing her mind went back to Anna Culpepper's body lying lifelessly in the tub...

She pushed away her food, and grabbed her bag "I'm going out!"

He parents didn't answer. Jodie sighed and left. She needed some alone time, or at least some time away from her parents. She wondered around for a while until she found herself at Helen's house again...

She paced and stood outside Helen's door for ten minutes before knocking on the door. Helen welcomed her in and sat her down at the table.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine." She lied.

Helen smiled and gave her some water. "Here."

She drank it. "Thank you Helen... uh where's Freddy?"

Helen looked worried. "I think he's still sleeping, he fell asleep last night right after you left."

"O-oh really?"

Helen stared at her for a moment. "You know Freddy has been acting very strange lately... is there something you want to tell me...?"

Jodie sighed. "I've been giving Freddy brain boost..."

Helen looked horrified. "What!"

"I know I shouldn't have! But I just-"

"What's brain boost?"

Helen and Jodie looked back, and in the doorway stood Freddy. Jodie could tell he was different his posture, but mostly his eyes...

"Mom?"

Helen stood perfectly still, unsure of what to say. Jodie ran into Freddy's room and grabbed the book she gave to him yesterday and gave it to him. "Here, read this."

Freddy gave her a strange look then started reading. He read it perfectly, but stopped when Helen started to cry.

"M-mom? What's wrong mom? I'm sorry! Please don't cry...!"

Helen ran over to him and hugged him.

For three weeks Jodie and Helen spent time with Freddy, teaching him everything he wanted to learn.

"Jodie what does the sun look like?"

She shook her head. "I don't know I've never seen the sun..."

"It's supposed to be really bright, right?"

"I guess."

"Then why can't we see it down here?"

She shrugged. "I guess it's too deep."

"Oh..."

She sighed. Freddy had been asking her weird questions like that all week. But she was happy for it, even if it was getting irritating.

All of a sudden it hit her like a bolt of lightning. The red blanket.

She jumped up and ran for the public phone. Freddy running after her.

"What are you doing!"

She started dialing the number. "I just remembered something that might help the case!"

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Jodie Stane!"

The voice on the other side of the line seemed uncomfortable. "Uh yeah, from the murder the other day?"

"Yes. I called to tell you about something the killer stole from her house!"

"What?"

"A red and black blanket, she was working on it for a few weeks."

"Oh, really...?"

She felt something was wrong. "Is this Mr. Cross..?"

"No..."

"Oh, who is this?"

"My name's... uh Sullivan I work with Mr. Cross. You uh, you say the killer leaving the scene of the crime?"

"Yes, I did."

"...Miss Stane would you mind meeting with me to ask you a few more questions about the murder?"

"No, I'd be glad to."

"G-good, good..."

She set up a place to meet and turned to Freddy. "I'm gonna go talk to the police, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay... can I go with you?"

"No, you need to go home." She hugged him and kissed his cheek. "Love you Freddy, see you tomorrow!" She turned at the corner and waved goodbye.

That was the last time Freddy saw her alive.

* * *

Freddy was smarter then he used to be, but he still didn't understand death. He didn't understand how someone he loved so much; someone he had been with just a few days earlier, was gone and never was going to come back.

They found her body a week after that day. He had told the police that she had gone to meet with a policeman but according to them there was no such meeting.

He also didn't understand how everyone could have given up.

His mother took him to her cremation. Her body was drained of color, and her eyes were closed. His mother said that she was asleep, but he could tell she wasn't there was something peaceful about sleep. That didn't look peaceful. She didn't look like a real person; she looked like a demented doll someone had made to look like her...

After all the speeches where over they burned Jodie's body.

Freddy went to see Mr. Cross after Jodie's cremation. He met with him in his office.

"I'm sorry for what happened, and we're doing all we can."

"Jodie's dead! And her killer is still out there! You're not doing enough!"

"I-" Cross was cut off by another man walking into the room.

"Hey can I talk to you for a minute?"

Cross nodded. "Yes, or course. Wait here for a minute, will you Mr. Brent?"

Cross left the room and Freddy mind was racing. He couldn't understand. Then he noticed that Cross had left one of his drawers open. Freddy knew he shouldn't pry but he carefully opened the drawer and started looking through it. In it were cases. But Anna Culpepper's and Jodie's case wasn't in there. He peeked outside and saw cross talking to the other man. He could vaguely hear what they were saying. But he couldn't get anything out of it. Then Mr. Cross returned.

"I'm sorry but I have some work to do. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

Freddy stood up more confused than ever Mr. Cross put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, we won't give up."

He nodded. "Thank you sir..."

He was ushered out of Cross's office and saw the man Cross had been talking to walk into another room, and sit down on the desk. While Freddy was walking by he noticed a file hidden under a pile of papers marked 'evidence'. He could see the word 'Stane.'

Freddy needed to get that file. He looked around, trying to see what he could use. He noticed a security camera on the other end of the hall. If he could set it off it might give him enough time to get that file. The camera was focused on a bunch of holding cells. So he started looking for a way to open them. In Cross's office were some keys, he figured one of them had to open the cages. So he stayed out of the way until Cross left his desk again and stole the keys. And he used them on a control panel to open the holding cages. Like clockwork the security system went crazy, and all of the security there ran to contain the prisoners. Freddy ran into the room, grabbed the file, slipped it under his shirt and ran out of there as fast as he could.

The information in the file was very basic, mostly just autopsy information. In it he found some interesting information that under Jodie's fingernails they found blood and skin, she probably scratched him up while... fighting back. So the killer had to have some cuts on him. But there were no suspects listed.

So from there Freddy had to make his own list of suspects. He started with Jodie. He was sure that she must have posed as some kind of threat. Because she saw him. It wasn't personal, but Culpepper's murder was. So he had to find out who would want to see her dead. And it didn't take him long to figure it out. Anna Culpepper and Sander Cohen were in a feud. She's written a song making fun of him. Could that be a motive? Anyway it was all he could go on...

When Freddy woke up the next morning his mother had put food out on the table. "Good morning Freddy."

He sat down. "Morning..."

They ate together in silence. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"Freddy... you can talk to me about anything."

He nodded, playing with his breakfast. His mother sighed, and grabbed her purse. "Well I've got to go to work. I'll see you after alright?"

"Okay." He kissed her cheek. "Love you mom..."

He finished his breakfast and was on his way out when he saw the book Jodie had given him. He picked it up and started to read it. Or at least he tried to. But he couldn't read some of the words.

He couldn't read them.

Something was wrong. He remembered Jodie saying something about 'brain boost'. He had to get more! But he had no money... what was he going to do? He had to get money. He only knew one person who could help him with that.

Freddy knocked on the door to Jodies house and a man opened the door. "Can I help you?"

"Uh... Mr. Stane?"

"No, he's out at the moment. And you are?"

"I'm his son."

The man looked completely blown away. "I'm sorry, but you have to leave!"

Freddy pushed the door back open. "I'm not leaving until I see him."

"If you don't leave now I'll call the-"

"Let him in."

The man stopped and at the top of the stairs Freddy could see a beautiful woman.

"But ma'am I-"

"I said let him in."

The man gave him a weird look then let him in.

"Do me a favor and go get us some drinks will you?"

The man nodded and left and the woman motioned for Freddy to Follow. "Come on, let's talk."

The woman was Amelia Stane, Jodie's mother. He sat down with her and started telling her about himself. She just sat back, smiling. "So your Helen's son." She laughed. "You're a very handsome young man."

"Thank you..."

Her face softened for a moment. "So you and Jodie were... close?"

He nodded. "Yes. I love Jodie. I really miss her..."

She stood for a moment. "Yes... you knew her pretty well didn't you?"

"Yeah. Didn't you?"

"Ha... no... not at all really..." She stood, and swayed for a moment, she was drunk. Amelia walked over to a reading desk and grabbed a book, and handed it to him. "This is her diary, keep it. You'll get more from it then I will..."

He took it and stared at the cover. It was beautiful. He opened it to the first page and saw small, cursive writing, dating back five years. He was so caught up trying to read it that he didn't notice Amelia getting closer until her hand was on his chest.

"What are you doing?"

She didn't say anything, grabbing him and kissing him.

Freddy was panicking trying to stand up and pull away from her. Then the next thing he knew Amelia was on the floor.

"YOU SLUT!"

Freddy fell back, flushed and confused, the man turned to him. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"

"I- I- I-"

The man ran at him, and Freddy ran away, the man chased him out the door.

Freddy felt the man punching him over and over again. "Who are you! What the hell did you think you were doing!"

Freddy was scared, tears started forming in his eyes. "I- I didn't mean for that to happen! I just wanted to talk to Mr. Stane!"

"What do you want from me?"

He froze. It was his father. "I just wanted to talk to you... I'm- I'm your son..."

For a moment he was speechless, so Freddy took that time to try to plead his case.

"I'm trying to find out who killed Jodie, but I'm forgetting things again... I need to get some brain boost or I'll-"

"Money! Is that what you want you little shit!" His father fell back. He was drunk too. Tears streaming down his face. "Get OUT! Get OUT OF HERE! DON'T COME BACK! DON'T EVER COME BACK!"

Freddy ran. He didn't understand why this had happened. Why did they act like that? He just wanted to help! He didn't understand why Mrs. Stane had kissed him, or why they both were drunk so early in the morning. Or why Mr. Stane had slapped his wife and kicked him out the door. He didn't understand that they were mourning, and behaving how they always had. They wanted to forget Jodie. They wanted to forget everything. And they hated their reminders of the pain they had to face. So they didn't face it. Instead they drank and cheated on one another, instead of finding comfort in each other. But Freddy didn't understand that either.

But Freddy did understand that he couldn't get the brain boost now... and he was running out of time.

So he wrote on his arm: SANDER COHEN, so he wouldn't forget. Although he really didn't know what he was planning to do.

Sander Cohen spent most of his time either at his apartment in Olympus Heights, or Fort Frolic. Freddy knew he wouldn't be allowed in a fancy place like Olympus, so he went to Fort Frolic, he'd never been more overwhelmed. Everything about it was so expansive, and bright. And everywhere there seemed to be something to do. For a while he just wondered around, forgetting what he was supposed to be doing...

When he finally found Cohen he was directing some sort of play, and by now Freddy wasn't thinking so clearly, he started walking up behind him, he felt something building in his chest. Because of him, Jodie was dead.

Freddy was about to reach Cohen when he was grabbed by someone.

"Okay kid, where is it?"

He froze, the man he was looking at seemed familiar... "What?"

"The file you took from my desk. Where is it?"

He remembered now. He was the man who had spoken to Mr. Cross back at the station.

"I don't know..."

"Don't think you can fuck with me kid. I can have you arrested for that. Especially after you released all those prisoners."

Freddy pulled away. "I was gonna give them back! It's not like y-you were usin' 'em!" He felt lightheaded... something was wrong.

"Look I understand. You lost someone close to you. But you can't just-"

"I loved her! And you- you gave up!"

The man stared at him for a moment, and then sighed. "I'll... I'll do everything I can... but I'll need that file first..."

Freddy didn't want to give it up. But he did. Feeling hopeless he looked down at his feet. The man skimmed threw the file, and seemed satisfied. Then he stared at Freddy for a moment. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Freddy..."

He nodded. "Freddy, I have something for you."

Out of the bag the man had he pulled out a red and black blanket, and gave it to him. Freddy's blood went cold, as he remembered... Jodie called because she remembered about a red and black blanket being stolen... she'd called the station, yet no one knew about the call, except him, but this man wouldn't know about that. And now on examination he could see cuts along the man's arm.

He was the killer.

Freddy still had some control over himself, and took the blanket. "Thank you... what's your name?"

"Sullivan. And uh... listen, if you want to talk, call me at the station. Okay?"

Freddy nodded. "Yes sir." And walked away, when he got through the door he ran.

Freddy knew he had to get home. All he knew was that he had to get home... but where... where was home?

* * *

Helen found Freddy wandering the neighborhood. He was crying his eyes out and griping Jodie's diary and a blanket. He couldn't remember what was wrong. Helen had no idea what to do. She knew if she bought some 'brain boost' it would probably help him, but she couldn't afford in anymore. For some reason Mr. Stane wasn't giving her any more money. She barely had enough money to buy food, let alone some miracle potion. She had to focus on getting by for now. But it was so hard. Especially when Freddy would wake up in the middle of the night saying he knew who 'did it'. Or when he would ask when Jodie was going to visit...

The only saving grace was when she would read Jodie's diary to him whenever he got upset.

Helen wasn't sure what to do, but she knew they were on their own...


	14. Rose Hampton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's been an absolute pleasure workin' with a man like Dr. Gilbert Alexander. He's a real genius. Sometimes I find myself so happy to work I don't wanna go home. Even now... in these... difficult times... as long as my life is like this I can continue to look forward to tomorrow!"
> 
> -Rose Hampton

Rose took a long sip of her coffee and leaned back. She had been working for hours and was so exhausted. But she didn't mind. She enjoyed being useful, especially for someone she admired. Rose had been working for Gil Alexander for four years now. She thought he was a real genius. She was also especially proud of herself. She had helped Dr. Alexander create the new Little Sisters, and jump start the Rapture economy. Lead by Sofia Lamb, they would unite all of Rapture.

"Rose. How are you feeling?" Dr. Alexander.

"Fine sir, just a bit tired is all."

"That's fine, take your time. I just wanted to tell you that I just received word that Sofia will be coming in to check in on our progress."

"Alright, sir. I'll be there in a minute."

Dr. Alexander left, and Rose relaxed for a few more minutes then finished her drink and headed back to the lab, and she couldn't help but feel excited. They were testing ADAM, they were going to create the first Utopian! By combining the thoughts and memories of all the greatest minds of Rapture into one person the perfect human would be created. He would see everyone as equal, he would treat everyone fairly and allow all of his people to live as such. She could scarcely imagine it.

Before she reached the lab she could hear Sofia Lamb and Dr. Alexander inside.

_That was fast..._

Rose knew she shouldn't eavesdrop... but... she carefully took a spot close to the door and listened.

"Are you sure you're willing to do this?" Lamb.

"I am. It's the least I can do for the family... for you."

"Then we'll begin immediately. Tomorrow morning."

"Yes. I- I will use tonight to prepare. Good night."

Rose heard footsteps coming to the door so she ran back and started walking to the lab like she had just gotten there. Lamb walked past her, smiling at her, and walking away. Rose continued into the lab where Dr. Alexander sat.

"She's leaving already?"

He looked up. "Yes. She's very pleased with what we've accomplished."

"That's good. You've been working so hard, you deserve the recognition."

He smiled. "Thank you, Rose."

She smiled. "Well, I was thinking, tomorrow we might want to check on the Little Sisters progress on the-"

"Actually... uh Rose... I don't need you here tomorrow. In fact, I want you to take the week off."

"What?"

"You've been working so hard, I want you to take some time off to relax."

"Oh..."

He seemed to perk up. "But come Monday I expect to see you here bright and early."

"Yes sir!"

Rose smiled; she really did love Dr. Alexander. There was something about him she couldn't help but admire...

"Alright then, I'll see you Monday..." She wanted to say it... so desperately…

"See you then."

But she couldn't...

Rose spent the next few days in anticipation. She couldn't help but wonder what Dr. Lamb and Dr. Alexander were talking about. She finally decided to ask him on Monday. But a few days before she got a call in the middle of the night. She rolled around in her sleep for a moment, but was too tired to answer the phone, the next morning she noticed she had a message.

**"Rose? This is Dr. Alexander... I uh... I don't have long to talk... but I need to tell you do not return to the office on Monday. Do NOT come back... something's happened and I... it's far too dangerous for you to come back... ever! Rose, I'm sorry things had to turn out this way... thank you for all your hard work over these past few years... thank you for everything... goodbye Rose. I'm so sorry."**

Rose was shocked she didn't know what to think. Why would he do this? Why now? Did he really expect her to just... not come back? With no explanation? But he sounded so... urgent... and there was something off with his voice... something wrong, but she couldn't place it... she spent the next few days thinking about it, and decided to respect his wishes...

Then, a few weeks later, when she had returned home after finding some food she saw she had another message.

**"Miss Hampton! This is Dr. Alexander! WHO do you think you ARE? You haven't been to work for WEEKS! You are in VERY big trouble young lady! I expect to see you tomorrow morning BRIGHT and EARLY! Otherwise your employment here at Fontaine Futuristics will be... terminated... DO YOU HEAR ME!"**

She stood in awe for a moment...

_THAT was Gilbert! It kind of sounded like him but... it was so wrong! My God! What happened to him!_

That morning she ran to Fontaine Futuristics, despite Dr. Alexander's former warnings. She couldn't help herself... She had to find out what had happened to Dr. Alexander...

Rose entered the building timidly... on a normal day she'd run into the back and begin her experiments with the doctor... but today...

Alexander's voiced boomed over the intercom. **"Well it's about time! We have lots to do and very little time to do it, so get moving Miss Hampton! Chop chop!"**

"Mr. Alexander? Where are you?"

**"I can't hear you over the intercom you twit! Get to your desk and you'll find your new assignments! MOVE IT!"**

Rose ran to her desk to find a security bot and a few override panels. "What are these...?"

**"Well! Go on! Don't stand there like a fool!"**

Rose sat down and spent the rest of the day modifying the security bot. While it wasn't out of her reach it was still very difficult for her. She wanted to find Dr. Alexander... she desperately wanted to talk to him and find out what was wrong... but every time she tried to get up, even just to use the restroom he would shriek at her and threaten her. At the end of the day she stood up, ready to leave.

**"And WHERE do you think YOU'RE going! You've wasted enough time already! You're not leaving until I say you can!"**

"But- you- you can't!"

**"That's enough backtalk from you! You can have a five minute break... but then it's BACK TO WORK!"**

Rose got up to run to the bathroom but her foot was caught on something and she fell. When she looked back she saw an audio log... she was probably so busy she hadn't noticed. She grabbed it and ran to the bathroom. She rushed into the open stall and turned it on.

 **"Rose, if you're hearing this, then for some reason you must have returned to the office**..." It was him! She was so relieved to hear his voice... even if it was prerecorded." **By now you've probably have... run in to... me... I'm afraid I'm in a terrible mess now... I can't be sure how far off I am now but you need to know the truth..."**

_Truth..? Oh Gilbert... what's happened?_

**"For the past few years we have been working on the Utopian project... the night Sofia came to see us... I volunteered to become the first. It was a success at first... but then... the changes began... not only physically... but mentally. I'm afraid I'm no longer safe to be around. And I'm also afraid I must ask something of you; I have set up a few bio scanners and security cameras to... aid anyone who might come here after you. But before I could finish it... well... I can't finish it. I'm afraid, if you're listening to this I'll have to ask you to do it for me. I've set them up, and they should work fine, but I'll need you to activate them. You'll need to get into the security booth. The old code should still work..."**

**"Miss Hampton! Your time is up!"**

**"...all you need to do is take the genetic key I placed under your desk and put it into the control panel. That will activate it, and then I want you to leave the office. Do not come back! No matter what happens. Please forget about me..."**

**"MISS HAMPTON!"**

**"Please try not to do anything to aggravate me in my... state of mind... please hurry. And Rose... be very careful."**

Rose stashed the audio log in the stall and stepped out of the bathroom, and quickly returned to her desk.

**"It's about time! Now get to work! We don't have all day!"**

Rose went back to working on the security bot. She just finished connecting the screen to it, now it just needed to be welded on.

"Dr. Alexander... I can't weld this!"

**"What? Why are you just standing there?"**

She sighed and sat back down, looking down under her desk. She could see the genetic key. Careful not to attract too much attention she grabbed the key. She slipped it into her pocket.

**"Oh I see... very well... I'll just have to hire some able-bodied workers... yes... But in the meantime finish those transmitters!"**

Rose didn't want to know exactly who he was planning to find, but she figured she'd better do what he said. So she got back to work. She worked through the night, and during her work she couldn't help but think of the first time she'd met him. He'd been so proper, and kind. He had done awful things but he had always tried to make up for his mistakes. She had always thought he was handsome... and as she worked through the night she wondered what she could do for him... if there was anything she could do... by morning had finished. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she had woken up. The transmitters and security bot were gone, and she was alone...

Had Dr. Alexander come and taken them while she was asleep?

Suddenly she saw the security bot fly into the room. It circled around then hovered over her head. On the screen she could see something... it sort of resembled a face pressed too close to the screen...

**"Good morning Rosie! You've done a wonderful job on you new assignment! Keep this up and you may just be employee of the month!"**

The bot flew away, leaving Rose alone... so she went to the bathroom; cleaned herself off then as nonchalantly as possible she headed for the security booth. But on the way she saw... splicers!

At first she panicked, frightened about what they might do. But then saw they wore butterfly masks... they were with Sophia Lamb... they wouldn't attack her... as long as she stayed out of their way. So she carefully went around them, making sure not to attract their attention.

_Now I know what Gilbert meant by 'able-bodied workers'... but it's so unlike him... he never liked having splicers around, he always believed they were too... unpredictable. In the end they were still splicers... they'd do anything for ADAM they were violent and wild... insane... and now Gilbert is... too..._

She shook away the thought, she had work to do. When she reached the security booth she could see the bio scanners, and other machinery Dr. Alexander had told her about. After she activated them they would only open on voice command. She slipped in and slid in the key. After a few moments the light turned green. And on the screen she saw a picture of Dr. Alexander.

**"Hello Rose. Well done. Now please leave the office and do not return... I cannot ask anymore of you. And I can't secure your safety. Thank you for everything. Goodbye Rose."**

The tape ended... that was all... and she was just supposed to leave...?

_I have to find Gilbert... I can't just... LEAVE him here... like that..._

She left the security booth and began to search the compound, but there was no sign of him anywhere, so he had to be in the labs. The main way was blocked off, however when you lived in Rapture long enough you know that there's more than one way to get where you're going. Rose could use the old maintenance shaft. It was dark and cramped, and it was a little longer then the beaten path but it was more convenient then going for a swim.

When she reached the lab she couldn't see anything... it was pitch black inside the labs...

"Dr... Alexander...?"

"Miss Hampton! What are you doing here!"

"I... I wanted to talk to you... to see if I could maybe help..."

"Help? HELP! Are you insinuating that I need HELP!" His voice boomed threw the labs, causing her to tremble.

"No! I mean... I just wanted to..."

"GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!"

Rose tripped over something, stumbling around in the dark. Then she found a lever. She flipped it, nothing happened. Still blind she walked through the labs, looking for the other light switch. When she found it she flipped it and in a few seconds when the lights turned on she saw... in the tank... a monster!

She screamed and fell back, and the thing in the tank screamed as well.

It was Dr. Alexander.

"Oh god... oh... GOD! What have you done!"

"INSUBORDINATION! INSUBORDINATION! Do you know what that means Miss Hampton! I warned you! You're fired! FIRED!"

Before she could move splicers descended on her from the ceiling, she tried to run but she was tripped, and they dragged her away.

She was pulled into the back by two splicers; one of them entered a code into the door with his malformed, flabby fingers: 5254...

They dragged in a chair and tied her down to it. She struggled, desperately trying to free herself.

**"I'm afraid this is the end Rosie... you had a promising future ahead of you. But all good things must come to an end."**

"Gilbert... please! Don't do this! I love you please!"

**"ENOUGH! I am no longer 'Gilbert'! Or 'Dr. Alexander'... no I need a new name! A new persona! I am a conqueror! I am... ALEX THE GREAT! I AM ALEX THE GREAT! HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAA!"**

The security bot flew away, and the splicers left her there, locking the door.

For the next few days she desperately tried to get out of the ropes, her throat raw from screaming, trying to get someone's help... but now she was so thirsty... she could barely move. Then she freed her hand... it was raw and bloody from struggling against the rope. She was too weak to continue, so she wrote the code on the wall behind her and reached down below her, she was able to get some water into her hand and drink some to sooth her throat.

She closed her eyes... and she prayed for someone to save her... if only someone would come and save her...


	15. Dallas Byrdsong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm of the opinion that a person's name defines who they are. Take Andrew Ryan! His real name? Andrei Rianofski! Would anyone have followed a guy named 'Andrei' to the bottom of the goddamn Atlantic? Hell no! But Andrew Ryan? That's a good name! My name is Dallas 'Byrdsong'. With a name like that, I pretty much had no choice but to be a singer... it's a lucky break that I'm damn good at it."
> 
> -Dallas Byrdsong

Dallas cursed as stomped on his hat in frustration. His face was burning from embarrassment.

He'd choked.

His one big chance to prove what he was made of and he'd screwed up his audition.

Dallas stared at his face in the mirror; he'd ducked into the bathroom after his failure. He splashed some water on his face and sighed. He took a moment to close his eyes and breathe.

"It's okay... It's okay. You had a bad go, but you can turn it around. You WILL turn it around."

That's what he told himself, but he still felt like a failure.

When he'd regained his composure, he headed for Sinclair Spirits, the old bar in Poseidon Plaza. He needed a drink before he went home. He ordered a bottle of Lacas Scotch and starting drinking, but found he was barely getting a buzz. 'How Much Is That Doggie In The Window' was playing on the jukebox.

He noticed someone sit in the chair next to him, which he found a bit odd, since the bar had barely any people in it so there were plenty of seats. Dallas chose to ignore him.

"That was an unfortunate affair back at the Fleet Hall." The person commented.

Dallas felt his face flush, but he continued to stare into his shot glass. "Who asked you?"

"Oh, no one. I just thought I'd offer you some guidance."

"Oh yeah? Why don't you shove your 'guidance' up your-" Dallas turned to face the man, but froze as soon as he realized who it was sitting next to him. "You- you're Cohen! You're Sander _fucking_ Cohen!"

Dallas wanted to crawl into a hole as Cohen laughed, seemingly amused. "I'm afraid so."

Sander Cohen was one of the biggest names in Rapture. Art, Music, Cohen had a hand in everything. He'd seen Cohen at the fleet hall when he was about to audition, but he had no idea he had actually _watched_ his performance.

Dallas cursed to himself, he had to turn this around. "I- Uh... I'm sorry Mr. Cohen, sir. That was really rude of me! I just... I didn't realize it was you..."

Cohen waved his hand dismissively. "Not at all... Um.." He paused, glancing at Dallas. Cohen was sizing him up. "What was your name again?"

"Dallas, sir, Dallas Byrdsong!"

Cohen smiled a little, looking away from him. "Dallas Byrdsong..." He muttered to himself, as if he was trying the name out to see how it fit. "Very quaint."

"I'm... I'm sorry about what happened back at the Fleet Hall too..." He added.

Cohen just shrugged. "Everyone makes mistakes... tell me Dallas, have you had any formal training?"

Dallas shook his head. "No sir."

"I thought so. You've got quite a singing voice, with the right mentor... you could go very far."

Dallas caught on to Cohen's drift immediately, but chose to play dumb. He smiled, trying to pour on the charm. "Thank you sir, that's a big compliment coming from you!"

"If you like, I could show you a few pointers."

 _Jackpot!_ "That'd be swell Mr. Cohen!" He stopped himself, choosing to add. "I mean- if it's not to much trouble! I'm sure you're a busy guy..."

"I'm never too busy to nurture the talent of aspiring young artists like yourself! I've taken in quite a few proteges in my time!"

"I'm looking forward to working with you sir!"

Cohen stood from the bar. "Well then, it's late. Don't stay out too late Dallas, we'll start tomorrow."

"That sounds great!"

"I'll meet you in the fleet hall, eight sharp." Cohen waved his hand and leaned slightly forward, in a sort of bow before leaving the bar.

Dallas felt like the luckiest bastard in Rapture. He headed home and tried to get some rest, but found himself far too excited to sleep.

_He may be an overrated old coot, but that fop is my meal ticket! He'll have all the connections I need! All I have to do is stay on his good side. How hard could that possibly be?_

Dallas reached Fort Frolic early, around 7:30. He always enjoyed being punctual.

He entered the Fleet Hall, and could hear music... someone was playing the piano. He followed the sound until he found Cohen, sitting at a piano onstage. Dallas was drawn in by the sound. He was surprised by this, as he had never liked anything that Sander Cohen had produced before...

Cohen stopped and stood from the bench. Dallas chose this opportunity to clap, Cohen seemed surprised. "Dallas, you're early!"

"Only a little." He dismissed. "What was that you were playing sir?"

Cohen shrugged. "Just a little something I've been working on, but since you're here we should get started! Come!" Cohen ushered him to the piano. "Now, I know you haven't had formal lessons, so you have a lot to learn. For your sake, I hope you're a quick study." He took a seat.

Cohen ran him through some drills. He showed him how to properly warm up prior to a performance, he corrected Dallas on his posture and breathing.

"That's what you got wrong back at your audition." He said. "You're breathing was off, without the proper breath support your performance suffered."

Dallas nodded. _Cohen really knows his stuff, I guess his fame isn't all for nothing._

The two continued to practice, for how long Dallas couldn't be sure. It could have been hours before Cohen finally stood from the piano bench. "I think it's time for a short reprieve, wouldn't you say?"

Dallas nodded. "Sure." He was glad for the break, his throat was a little sore. Despite himself, he actually found himself enjoying this.

Cohen led Dallas to the projection booth. "Wait here."

Cohen left, leaving Dallas alone in the booth. From the booth Dallas could see the stage below where the two of them had been practicing.

"Who are you suppose t' be?"

Dallas looked over to the door, standing there was a tall young man with wavy brown hair.

"What?" He asked.

The man rolled his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Cohen told me to wait here."

"Cohen? ...Oh, I see." He took a step forward. "The name's Cobb."

Cobb took a step towards Dallas, examining him. "What's your name kid?"

"Dallas." He replied, feeling a little uncomfortable. "So, you know Cohen?" He asked.

Cobb nodded. "In a matter of speakin'. I own the record store over in the Plaza, and Cohen, he's... an investor."

"I see."

"There's actually a few of us." Cobb added, looking around, as if he was looking for someone.

"Us?" Dallas asked.

"Guys Cohen's taken an interest in..." He looked back at the doorway once more, before looking at Dallas again. "Let me give you a little advice sugar; if you're gonna get involved with Cohen, you better be ready for all the crap that goes along with it."

Dallas frowned. "What do you mean?"

"When Cohen gets his eyes set on you, you better just do what he says. Before long he's gonna own yer ass." There was a hint of resentment in his voice.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He was about to continue when the door opened again, Cohen standing in it. "Silas, I'm surprised to see you here."

"Just stoppin' by." He muttered. "Didn't mean to interrupt." He pushed passed Cohen and was gone.

Cohen stared at where Cobb had left, before shaking it off and handing Dallas a cup of something.

"What's this?" He asked.

"It's tea. It's good for the throat"

"Oh." Dallas took a swig, he'd never tried tea before. "Not bad."

Cohen walked over to the other side of the room, he seemed to be inspecting the films.

"Can you read music Dallas?"

Dallas shrugged. "My mom taught me a little..."

"Your mother?"

"Yeah, she used to teach piano lessons, stuff like that."

Cohen seemed satisfied with his answer. "You're a fast learner, I'm sure you'll catch on."

"Do you really think so?"

Cohen turned to him. "Certainly, but you'll have to work hard for it."

Dallas took another sip of the tea. "I'll do my best sir."

"That's good! That's very good." Cohen turned to Dallas, a little smile on his face. "You've got talent Dallas, there's no mistake about that, but that can only take you so far! To become a successful artist takes effort. It's a unending struggle! You must be able to dedicate yourself to it."

"I'm ready for anything Mr. Cohen."

Cohen laughed. "We'll see how ready you are in the weeks to come."

Dallas couldn't help but smile. He was going to take Rapture by storm, and Sander Cohen was going to take him straight to the top.

Almost two weeks Dallas spent training his voice with Cohen. He'd go see him two or three times a week. Today was a little bit special, however. Today Cohen invited Dallas to have his usual lessons at his home in Mercury Suites. Dallas had never been there before, due to the fact he was he could never have afforded it. He could barely scrape together the money for his flat.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

Dallas stopped when he noticed a large group of people standing around a young man, behind him was a sign: PLASMIDS EVOLVE TODAY!

_Plasmid? What's a Plasmid?_

The young man revealed a glowing concoction from his bag. "Plasmids are the way of the future, designed to make your lives easier!" The man drank from the vile, then shivered a little. "Need to clean the house?" He continued. "No problem! With the Telekinesis Plasmid, you don't have to lift a finger!" He outstretched his hand and another man's hat flew off his head and into his hands.

Dallas blinked, barely able to believe what he'd seen.

The crowd gasped as the man launched the hat into the air, high above their heads, then pulled it back. Then, with the flick of the wrist, he plopped it back onto the man's head.

He crowd was mystified as the young man took out another vile and drank it. "Anybody got a cigarette?" He asked with a coy smile. A woman reached into her bag and offered him it to him, he took it and smirked. "Got a lighter?"

"Oh, yes, of course, I-"

Before the woman could grab her lighter, the man raised his hand then snapped his fingers. A small shot of flame shot out of them and lit his cigarette! "With Incinerate, you can have fire at your fingertips!"

Dallas was amazed. "Holy smokes!"

The crowd whispered to each other. "Can you believe it?"

"I've never seen anything like it!"

The man pulled out one final vile from his bag and drank deep. "How many of you folks have ever had a rough night, so in the morning you decide to catch a few extra z's. But then you sleep in too long and now you're late for work! No problem!"

The man took off into a run. There was this weird fizzing sound and he vanished into a cloud of red smoke. Everyone gasped and looked around for him.

"WITH TELEPORT YOU'LL NEVER BE LATE AGAIN!"

One of the people in the crowd gasped and pointed up to the man, who was now several floors above them! "Grab your own Plasmids at Fontaine Futuristics! Coming soon!"

The man teleported away once more and was gone, leaving every one awestruck.

Dallas took one of the fliers. _Superpowers? Real life superpowers!_

He tucked the flier in his jacket then ran off.

Dallas' mind was still racing when he reached Cohen's flat. The door opened for him and inside he was a little startled to see a group of men and woman!

_No... wait, they're just statues..._

Dallas stepped forward, examining them. They were posed dramatically, in some sort of battle, Dallas thought. As he took a another step forward he realized; they were breathing!

"What the hell!" He backed away, but the people never moved. They were covered from head to toe in some sort of white paint or grease, and stood perfectly still, like statues.

"It's called tableau vivant." Cohen stood beside him, examining the group.

"T-tablo...?"

"It means 'living picture'. It's a little something I saw once in France, I found it to be fascinating. Models pose to represent scenes from drama or history, almost like living statues."

"That's..." Dallas looked at the people around the room. "Very interesting..."

"Anyway, come! We'll get started!"

Dallas followed Cohen away from the people and up a flight of stairs and into a spacious bedroom.

"I have something I want to show you..."

Cohen walked over to a canvas, covered with a white sheet. He took hold of it and revealed a poster...

_SANDER COHEN PRESENTS_

_DALLAS BYRDSONG_

Dallas was speechless for a moment. "Cohen... what is..?"

"For your show." Cohen replied.

"...show? MY show?" Dallas burst out laughing, grinning from ear to ear. "I can't believe you did this!"

"Call it a gift for all your hard work, although there's much more work to do before you're ready."

Dallas nodded. "Anything you say sir!"

The show was scheduled to be at the end of the month, so Dallas had a few weeks still to prepare himself.

But as the day approached, he found Cohen to be more and more... controlling..

"We must find you something more... suitable to wear during your performance."

Dallas glanced down at his clothes. Right now, he was wearing a simple striped suit, it was the only one he had. Dallas had never really been able to afford very fancy clothes.

Cohen took Dallas to the Sophia Salon were he has Dallas' measurements taken and ordered him a suit. Dallas tried to tell Cohen he couldn't possibly afford something like that, but Cohen merely shrugged it off and replied that he would be paying for it. As well as some new shoes, a new tie... Cohen also insisted Dallas have his hair cut.

"Uh sir, isn't this a little... too much?"

Cohen stopped and stared at Dallas for a moment, glaring at him. " _I'm_ offering you _my_ expertise, and you think it's _'a little too much'_?"

Dallas immediately knew he'd said something wrong. "N-no sir, that's not what I meant at all! I mean..." _Think of something, fast!_ "I'm just feeling guilty that you're having to go through so much trouble, buying all this for me."

Cohen stared at him for a moment... and went back to his usual demeanor. "Not at all my boy. Just consider it a gift."

Dallas didn't argue with Cohen anymore that day. He tried to relax and just go along with it, but he remembered something that man Cobb had said a few weeks ago...

_When Cohen gets his eyes set on you, you better just do what he says..._

As Dallas left Fort Frolic and headed for home.

_Before long he's gonna own yer ass_

Despite Dallas' growing concerns he pushed them aside and focused in his show. It was hard work. Dallas spent all his time thinking about the songs Cohen taught him the drills. He went to bed at night and woke up in the morning with the songs in his head.

Finally, the day arrived and Dallas stood in front of a mirror staring at his reflection. He could hardly recognize himself. He had just tried on his new blue, three piece suit and his hair, which was naturally curly and usually let to run wild, was slicked back.

"Well now, you clean up nicely." Cohen took a step forward, stood beside Dallas and placed a hand on his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"I think I'm gonna hurl." Dallas admitted.

Cohen laughed. "You're just nervous, you'll do fine if you just remember what I taught you."

"Yes sir." Dallas straightened his tie, taking a deep breath. _This is it._

Dallas took his position and waited for his cue. From backstage he could see people taking their seats. There were so many of them.

_Cohen may have lured them here, but it's me they're hear to see._

He took another deep breath as the lights dimmed and the curtain rose. The spotlight was on him now, as were the eyes of everyone in the audience. For a moment his heart wavered, then Dallas smiled.

_Here goes nothing._

As the music played, Dallas began to sing.

The applause was incredible, as Dallas walked off the stage he was trembling and lightheaded. But he felt good. Dallas went to sit in the dressing room, feeling overwhelmed.

"What are you doing?" Cohen stood in the doorway. "Hiding backstage! You're public awaits you!"

"I-I'm not sure I'm ready just yet-"

Cohen grabbed his arm, pulling him from his seat. "Come now! This is your moment of triumph! Besides, I have some colleges I want to introduce you to."

Dallas let Cohen lead him back to the Fleet Hall, where many men and woman stopped them to shake Dallas' hand and compliment him on his performance.

"Ah, Andrew, you made it after all."

Dallas froze as he saw Andrew Ryan approaching the two of them. "You were quite insistent. After the praise you showered this young man with, I'm glad to see it wasn't undeserved." Andrew Ryan smiled and offered Dallas his hand. Dallas took it and the shook hands. "A splendid performance, but then that should be no surprise, Sander has always had an eye for talent."

"Thank you Mr. Ryan!"

Ryan turned from Dallas to Cohen. "I'm also here to ask you a favor. I have a business venture in mind, necessary to the secrecy of Rapture and I'd like you to consult on it."

Cohen rubbed his chin. "Really? Sounds intriguing." Cohen turned to Dallas. "Please excuse us Dallas. By all means, go! Enjoy yourself!"

Cohen and Ryan walked off together, and Dallas continued through the crowd.

A woman wearing a red dress and choker. She brushed her dark hair from her face as she approached him. "I must say, I'm genuinely surprised."

"Excuse me?"

"What I mean is; Why would a talented young man like yourself would be riding on the coat tails of Sander Cohen."

Dallas was surprised by this. "You... don't like his work?"

The woman shook her head. "Hardly."

Dallas frowned. "Who are you?"

The woman stopped in front of him. "Anna Culpepper, pleased to meet you."

Dallas couldn't help but smirk. "You too."

Culpepper walked by. "Anyway, I've got to be going."

Dallas followed her into the Atrium. "Already?"

She chuckled at him. "I just wanted to congratulate you before I left." She continued past him and down the staircase.

"See you around?" He asked.

She stopped and looked back at him, smiling a little. "We'll see. So long Dallas Byrdsong."

Culpepper left and Dallas leaned against the railing watching her go. _Not bad..._

"Well lookie what we got here!"

Dallas turned around, behind him stood three men. They stood out from everyone else because of their matching clothes; red plaid vests with yellow tie and crimson colored pants. Dallas recognized one of them as Cobb.

"Oh, it's you..."

Cobb lulled his head to one side. "Where's Cohen?"

"He left with Andrew Ryan."

Cobb motioned for Dallas to follow. "Come on, let's get a drink."

Dallas paused for a moment, but followed the three to Eve's Garden, the strip club back in Poseidon's Plaza. A woman danced onstage, with men whistled and hollered at her.

Two of the men sat at the bar and ordered a drink, while Cobb sat down on a couch and a waitress brought him a drink. "Don't just stand there, sit down!"

Dallas did, and Cobb took a swig of his drink. "Saw your show newbie. You're not half bad!"

Dallas waved down the waitress and ordered a drink. "Uh... thanks."

"That's a pretty fancy suit too, the old man buy it for you?"

Dallas nodded, feeling uncomfortable. "Yeah... he did."

One of the guys at the bar sniggered and Cobb just smirked.

"What's so funny?" Dallas asked.

Cobb waved his hand dismissively. "Nothin' at all kid! We just wanted to welcome you to our little social circle, now that you're Cohen's new favorite."

Dallas blinked. _His_ _'new'_ _Favorite?_ He glanced at Cobb, then the other two men at the bar. _Are they angry at me because of Cohen?_ But looking at them, they didn't look angry. Two of them were smiling and snickering, like Dallas didn't get the joke. Or perhaps that Dallas WAS the joke. "Who are you guys?" He asked, slightly annoyed.

Cobb shrugged, still smiling. "You know me. The guy over there with the bottle of vodka is Hector Rodriguez, and the cheerful bastard next to him is Martin Finnegan."

"So, you all know Cohen?" He asked.

"Ooh yes, we know him. Cohen took a 'special interest' in all of us, just like you. He calls us his 'disciples'." Cobb pointed at one of the others. "Martin there, he's been with Cohen almost twenty years, isn't it?"

Martin looked over from the bar. "Yeah... met him back in 1937, topside. Cohen bought me my ticket down here."

"And Hector... he was a stage hand, I think, isn't that right? Then Cohen picked him up, let him star in a couple of his shows."

Hector just waved his hand as he finished off his vodka and ordered another bottle.

Cobb leaned over to Dallas, muttering. "Hector couldn't afford to get drunk every night if Cohen didn't pay his tab."

Dallas fidgeted. "Okay..." _Where's he going with this?_ "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Relax boy, just gettin' antiquated! We're all friends here."

Dallas frowned, but decided to take advantage of this opportunity. "So... about Cohen... uh..."

"What about him?" Martin asked from the bar, the waitress offered to refill his glass but he shook his head and she continued with the other customers.

"Well... the other day he got a little... crazy. That is- I don't mean _he's_ crazy I just meant... he got really angry, real quick you know? And then just like that, back to normal, like nothing happened."

"That's sounds about right." Cobb mused. "And that's just the tip of the iceberg."

Hector spun around on the bar stool. "You juss gotta go along wif what he sayss you know?"

"If he's really that hard to get along with, why do you guys stick around?"

Cobb laughed out loud. "You kiddin' me? You should know, right? Your own show, a fancy suit! Personally, Cohen's been payin' my rent for a nice apartment."

So he turned to Martin. "What about you?"

Martin shrugged. "I wanted to be a painter, like him. He's been funding my work... so I keep him happy, you know? If he's happy, you're taken care of…" Dallas may have imagined it, but he could have sworn there was a little bit of resentment in his voice.

 _I guess that does makes sense..._ Dallas caught himself feeling sorry for Cohen, all these guys using him for his wealth and connections… not that he had any room to judge.

He spent a little longer with the others. Mostly they just talked about Cohen, most of it not very good.

As the night went on, he felt more and more unsure about his show... He'd thought it was a huge success... but was it because of his talent or Cohen's connections...?

That empty feeling only grew when he eventually went home and tried to get some sleep.

Dallas had just picked up the morning paper; he was surprised to see a review of his show... he was more surprised to see it was a negative one; written by Anna Culpepper.

_Those looking for a pleasant distraction at Fort Frolic found themselves highly disappointed by the trivial schlock that has become the status quo for a Sander Cohen production._

He was upset by it... a little, but it was no comparison to Cohen; who stormed around the room ripping the paper into pieces.

"I've had just about enough of that _woman_!"

Dallas decided to try to calm him down. "Mr. Cohen, it's okay! Who cares what she says? The show was a success! One bad review can't change that, right?"

Cohen stopped, and then looked at Dallas. After a moment of considering his words Cohen seemed to regain his composure. "You're right. I merely find it... infuriating that... woman... is taken at all seriously down here."

Dallas breathed a sigh of relief, it always made him nervous when Cohen became... agitated. Cohen tossed the newspaper into the trash, a little too hard. The trashcan tipped over and its contents spilled out... including a few empty eve syringes.

Plasmids hadn't been released that long ago and people were already going crazy for it. Dallas had considered trying it out himself... until he realized he'd have to inject himself with those needles.

It may have made him seem like a wimp, but he'd never been a huge fan of needles... He'd had to get a couple shots when he was a kid, and it wasn't a pretty sight. He remembered screaming and crying and the doctors practically had to hold him down. He couldn't imagine jabbing himself _deliberately._

Another thing he'd noticed, after a person had been using it for a while, ADAM and EVE, Plasmids. People got... irritable, even violent. Cohen was a good example. He was always a little off; but these days almost anything could set him off. But Dallas was learning how to act around Cohen.

Cohen stepped forward and placed his hands on Dallas' shoulders. "I'm afraid there will always be doubters... but you will rise above it."

Dallas forced a smile. "Of course, sir, thank you..."

Dallas was finding it harder and harder to find time to himself, more and more Cohen seemed to try to incorporate himself into Dallas' life... it was starting to suffocate him.

After another day Dallas was finally heading home, when he saw Anna Culpepper.

He found it a little ironic that she and Cohen lived so close to one another, considering the obvious animosity between them. Dallas couldn't help but glare at her.

It was then that she turned and spotted him, Dallas immediately headed in the other direction, but she followed him.

"Hey now! Is that anyway to act? And I thought we'd really hit if off the other night." She teased.

"Yeah, until you decided my show was 'trivial'." He muttered, not stopping.

"It wasn't your show; as a matter of fact I didn't mention you at all in my review."

Dallas stopped. "What?"

"It was Cohen's show. His songs, his money, his show." Culpepper shrugged. "You do realize that, don't you?"

Dallas looked down, he knew it but he didn't like to admit it.

"I could use an escort for the evening."

"What?"

"Come with me." She smirked. "Or do you have to ask Cohen for permission?" She teased.

Dallas felt his face flush. "I don't need permission from _anyone_!"

She took his hand. "Come on then."

They headed to Arcadia, the living, breathing heart of Rapture. All the oxygen in Rapture was created and pumped out from the forests in Arcadia.

The two of them wandered through the green haven, spotting families strolling together, sometimes a couple basking in the synthetic sunlight generated for the trees. The place smelled like freshly cut grass, wild flowers, and fertilizer. They were smells Dallas had almost forgotten.

Dallas had never been there before. He'd never had the money to spare. It felt so surreal to be standing under trees again after so long. Sometimes he forgot he didn't used to live at the bottom of the ocean.

The place was large, it almost seemed like a giant maze.

"It's quite a sight isn't it?" Culpepper was standing on the bridge over a small creak.

Dallas stood beside her, staring down at the running water. "Sure is."

"Does it make you homesick?"

He looked over to her; she was staring off into space. "No." He lied. "How about you?" He asked.

She smiled. "No."

"This is my first time in Arcadia." He admitted.

"Really? Then this must be a real treat for you."

"I guess so."

It was a beautiful sight, but it felt a little... hollow. Out beyond the vines and trees he could still see the ocean and the dim lights of the city. There was no wind and the synthetic sun was nothing compared to the real thing. Arcadia looked a bit like a forest but had no signs of life. No animals, no birds. There were some bees buzzing around, they were needed to help the flowers grow, but other then that...

Dallas noticed Culpepper moving again and followed her. There was a table set with a few bottles of Arcadia Merlot.

"Someone must have been in a hurry!" Culpepper examined the bottles, grabbing one. "This one's not even open!" She opened the bottle and poured herself a glass. "How about you?"

Dallas smirked. "Sure." He took a glass.

They drank the wine and wandered through the rolling hills.

The two eventually found themselves in the Waterfall Grotto, several large wheels poured water down into a small pool. The sides overrun with vines and small pink flowers. In the center of the grotto were a few red roses that weren't quite blooming yet.

Culpepper took off her shoes and stepped into the pool. Dallas laughed as she stumbled, almost falling.

"Why did you invite me out?" He asked, a little woozy.

She laughed. "I suppose I just enjoyed the idea of stealing you away from Cohen for an hour or two."

"You really don't like him do you?"

"Not in the slightest. Though, to be fair, it's his policies.. well _Ryan's_ policies. Ryan goes on and on about free market and industry... and to hell with the people who don't make it... the poor get poorer and the rich get richer. There are a lot of slums in Rapture but if you ask Andrew Ryan; he'll say they just aren't working hard enough." She sat down on a step, feet still in the water. "And Cohen hangs on Ryan's every word, pushing his propaganda and singing his praises."

"Oh..."

Culpepper laughed dryly. "Utopia... we just traded one set of hypocrisies for another..."

Dallas was silent, sure he'd heard all these things before... here and there. But it was a sort of unwritten rule that you keep your mouth shut. Talking like that... well... there were rumors of people... disappearing.

"Why did you come to Rapture?" He asked.

She frowned. "A friend of mine received an invitation. She let me in on the secret. The thought of escape... it seemed like the obvious choice. How about you?"

"I got lucky... I worked in this fishing fleet. We were recruited by some of Ryan's people early on, feeding the worker, stuff like that. Of course, as soon as I got to Rapture I quit it. I wasn't gonna catch fish for the rest of my life..."

"So you decided to be a singer instead?"

Dallas frowned. "Yeah... that's right..."

For the first time in a long time, Dallas thought about his mother... The last time he saw her, lying in a casket. She hadn't looked real...

Cold water was splashed on him, he jumped up and shrieked, a little too shrilly. Culpepper laughed as he glared at her. He kicked the water, splashing her, but she just continued laughing. He tried to kick more water on her, but slipped and fell into the pool, Culpepper laughing all the while.

He stood back up and walked over to her, grabbing the bottle from her hand. "Gimme that!" He drank from the bottle.

The two sat their for a while, he couldn't be sure how long.

"Well, it's getting late." Culpepper stood up and slipped her shoes back on. "Thank you for the diversion Dallas, we'll have to do it again sometime."

He nodded, feeling a little let down. "Oh... yeah, sure."

As Dallas made his way home he realized he couldn't tell anyone about Culpepper.

_If Cohen heard that I was hanging around with her..._

He shook his head, deciding not to think about it.

Dallas followed Cohen through the crowd. Cohen would slink through the throngs of well dressed people. Every once in a while he would stop and chat with someone who would lavish him with compliments. Dallas found it all very boring, but Cohen had insisted...

" _You're not just an obscure talent anymore! You're an artist! You must go and shine your light upon the masses!"_

Dallas pulled on his new tie, and glanced down at his new clothes. They were the same style that Cobb and the other guys wore. More and more, Dallas felt like a dog on a leash. He felt embarrassed to be wearing it, but he didn't fight Cohen about it.

Despite Dallas' discomfort, he was stopped every once in a while and complimented for his performance the other day.

"Mr. Cohen, the first time I saw Patrick and Moira, I was just brought to tears! Such a moving love story!"

Cohen smiled at the woman who was arm in arm with a man, her husband maybe.

"Thank you my dear."

Everywhere they went people praised Cohen... but to Dallas' surprise, he didn't seem to be enjoying it all that much...

"Are you alright, sir?" He asked.

Cohen blinked a few times and looked over at him, rubbing his eyes he replied. "Yes, of course, I'm just a bit fatigued..."

"Maybe you should head home?" He asked, hopefully. If he left, that meant Dallas could leave.

"Leave now? Nonsense! This is simply the duty of the artist, one must reap the benefits of hard work."

Cohen was about to continue, when a familiar voice rang out. "And you do try so hard, don't you Cohen?" It was Anna Culpepper.

Cohen frowned. "I don't remember inviting _you_."

She shrugged. "Last I checked, Rapture was still a free city. I can go anywhere I please. Unless your dear friend Andrew Ryan has decided to take away more of the peoples freedom."

Cohen merely shrugged. "You _obviously_ have no grasp on the politics of Rapture. Anything the council does is to suppress the influence of the parasites and doubters."

Culpepper just smiled. "Spoken like a true plutocrat. If I didn't know any better, I might think you were a parrot; trained to squawk the same tired rhetoric over and over again."

Cohen looked like he was going to smack her, but regained his composure. "In these troubled times, one should think carefully about what they say, and whether or not they'll be able to regret in the future."

Cohen stormed off and Dallas followed, he saw Culpepper wink at him before disappearing into the crowd.

"Uh... Mr. Cohen, what did you mean by that?" He asked, feeling uneasy.

But Cohen just smiled at him. "Nothing you need to worry about."

Ryan Amusements was a new theme park that Ryan Industries had spent the past many months building. Ryan had apparently asked Cohen to consult on it, and now Dallas was going to see it... with Anna Culpepper.

**"I am Andrew Ryan. Welcome to Ryan Amusements. Please, enjoy the park."**

Dallas stared at the mannequin that seemed to usher them inside. He'd never seen anything like it... but that was probably a good thing.

To his left he saw a few dioramas. The first one featured a man pointing dramatically at the sea.

**"Andrew Ryan wakes one night, while cruising the Atlantic in his steamliner "The Olympian." His sleep interrupted with a singular purpose: "Here!" he shouts to his crewmen, as he wipes sleep from his eyes. "Full stop! We begin building here!""**

The next diorama was a man in a diver suit, with a large platform sinking into the ocean.

**"Refitted for heavy construction, The Olympian returns with a new cargo: A State-of-the-Art Submersible Platform, nicknamed "The Sinker," ferries supplies and workers to the sea floor, fathoms below."**

The third diorama showed Rapture and it's foundation.

**"After initial supplies had been brought to the sea floor, the platform is permanently moored in the sediment. Massive iron girders are sunk hundreds of feet into the rock and silt. Below the platform, engineers work to overcome obstacles, such as diamond-hard rock, obstinate sea life, and unexpected caverns."**

The final diorama showed two men in suits working in the ocean.

**"After the platform is secured, work progresses at an astounding rate. Designed to be the foundation of Rapture, workers toil around the clock to create the metropolis you see today."**

Culpepper let out a mocking laugh, but Dallas remained silent.

They headed for the main attraction of the park, known as _Journey To The Surface_. The ride was mostly for kids, but anyone could get on the ride.

As they entered the ride and were greeted by a mannequin of Andrew Ryan...

**"Why, hello there, my name is Andrew Ryan. I built the city of Rapture for children just like you, because the world above had become unfit for us. But here, beneath the ocean, it is natural to wonder if the danger has passed, if those we left behind will ever come to their senses. So, let us imagine, you and I, what might befall us ... on the surface."**

The mannequin twitched and lurched, moving on it's own as the per-recorded message played. The two of them went down the stairs and onto one of the cars, shaped like a bathysphere.

Slowly, it took off, and up a hill. At the top he saw fake trees, the ceiling and walls were painted like green hills and pale blue skys. As they made the first turn, the ride came to a stop at a small house. A mannequin dressed as a farmer was plowing while his 'wife' and 'son' stood on the front porch.

The voice of Andrew Ryan continued.

" **On the surface, the farmer tills the soil, trading the strength of his arm for a home and lands of his own."**

Suddenly two giant hands descended from above! Ripping the roof from the home.

" **But the parasites say "NO! What is yours is ours! We are the state, we are God, we demand our share!"**

Dallas cursed as the ride continued, he looked over at Culpepper... who had a very harsh look on her face, but said nothing.

The next set up had three mannequins in lab coats standing at desks.

**"On the surface, the scientist invests the power of his mind in a single miraculous idea and naturally begins to rise above his fellows."**

Dallas knew it was coming this time... as one of the scientist mannequins raised up, a large hand came down from above, forcing him back down.

**But the parasites say "NO! Discovery must be regulated! It must be controlled and finally surrendered..."**

To their immediate left was another display, this time an mannequin stood in front of a canvas in a gallery. Ryan's message started once more.

**"On the surface, an artist strives to frame his ideals in an image, to challenge his audience and make his vision immortal."**

The mannequin moved from his painting, hands in the air, revealing it to the world as a hand came down once again, blocking the image.

**But the parasites say "NO! Your art must serve the cause! Your ideals endanger the people!"**

Dallas thought of Cohen, he could only imagine what the artist would say if he knew Dallas was here with Culpepper... Dallas knew he should probably be avoiding her, but he didn't want to. She wasn't afraid or Cohen, she wasn't afraid of Ryan, or anybody else.

The ride took off again. Looking around, the setting looked like the back allies of some town or city. Above he could see thousands of little painted dots, like stars. They found themselves, once again, in front of the desk of Andrew Ryan...

**"Lacking its own ingenuity, the Parasite fears the visionary. What it cannot plagiarize, it seeks to censor; what it cannot regulate, it seeks to ban. Rapture was founded on an idea, and here they are held inviolate."**

They went forward, and another scene unfolded. A small boy lay out in front of a TV, his mom and dad sitting on a couch in their home.

**"On the surface, your parents sought a private life, using their great talents to provide for you. They learned to twist the lies of church and government, believing themselves masters of the system."**

"Oh boy..."

" **But the parasites said "NO!"**

A hand came out of the darkness, the mannequin child kicked and flailed as he was pulled into the darkness, with the hand.

" **The child has a duty! He'll go to war and die for the nation."**

They left the scene behind, ending once more at the desk of Andrew Ryan...

**"Unable to provide for itself, the need of the Parasite grows until war is made to justify it. Your parents brought you to Rapture, where you need never fear the Parasites again. So you see, there is no place for you on the surface, but you may bring the world to you! If you know someone who belongs in Rapture, write a letter to the Ryan Industries mailroom. And you never know! The next new face... might be familiar."**

The ride finally ended as they approached a replica of the lighthouse entrance to Rapture as the anthem 'Rise Rapture Rise' played over the speakers.

The two stepped off the ride in silence, heading back to the lobby.

She lit a cigarette. "That was about what I had expected."

"Y-yeah." He murmured.

"Brainwashing at its finest."

Dallas was silent for a moment. "Look... I don't like it either- I mean, if I had kids I wouldn't bring them here... but it's necessary, right?"

Culpepper stared at Dallas, face unchanging. "Really? Why is that?"

"Things aren't perfect down here, but it's a hell of a lot better then up there, right? With that goddamn Atom bomb hanging over our heads..."

Her eyes narrowed. "I hope so..." She took a long drag of her cigarette, then threw it in the ash tray. "Come on, this place is depressing."

Dallas hadn't been to The Kashmir restaurant since he'd first come down to Rapture. It was a fairly fancy joint that newcomers could enjoy the finer things the city had to offer. Though connection with the surface had been completely cut off, the place was still a hot spot for the ritziest people in the city.

"Cohen seems quite irritable these days."

Dallas was surprised she brought him up, but nodded. "Yeah, he has been. You being on his case certainly doesn't help. It's hard enough to be around most days..."

"Then why do you stay?"

Dallas frowned. "...he helps me..."

"Helps you?"

"Without him, I wouldn't have made it this far."

Culpepper took another sip of her drink. "Why did you decide you wanted to become a singer?"

"Why..?"

"Was it just for the fame? If so, bravo."

He shook his head. "No! ...No. It's not that..." He got another drink, if he was going to tell the truth, he wasn't going to be sober. After another drink he finally managed to speak. "My dad left us, when I was just a kid. My mom... she gave up everything, just so she could take care of me... she tried to sing, at first, but she had to give it up. It wasn't getting food on the table, y'know? She gave piano lessons... but that didn't pay the bills..." He swallowed hard, he couldn't say it. Even as a kid he'd known about the men his mother would see... but he couldn't say it. "My mom, all she wanted to do was sing..."

He'd almost forgotten Culpepper was there before she placed a hand on his back. She didn't say a thing, but leaned against him, her head lying on his shoulder...

"You don't need Cohen to be a great singer."

Dallas looked over to Culpepper. "What?"

"You've got talent Dallas; you don't need Cohen to be successful. You can do it on your own."

Dallas said nothing at that, but the idea stuck in his mind…

**Ryan's Songbird**

That was the name of Anna Culpepper's new song. A song dedicated to criticize Ryan's biggest supporter in the art world… Sander Cohen.

Cohen was angry again, but this time it was a silent rage that bubbled just below the surface as it festered. It had been growing for a while now and Cohen was about to burst. Right now, he was painting, curbing his frustration through his work, which Dallas and the other 'Disciples' were all too thankful for…

"He's really losing it… more than usual." Finnegan muttered under his breath.

"What does he expect?" Cobb was scanning the music selection in the Juke box. "No one's gonna come out to Fort Frolic, not while Atlas and Ryan and their goons are going at it."

"Hey, birdie, why don't you go talk to him?"

Dallas frowned at his new nickname Hector had come up with, but it seemed to be sticking… He shook his head. "No way, I don't have a death wish."

"DALLAS!" Cohen's voice rang out and he flinched.

The others chuckled. "You heard him birdie!"

Dallas reluctantly stood up and went to Cohen.

Inside Cohen's collection, Cohen stood in front of a canvas… that was currently on fire. Dallas noticed the heat that seemed to radiate from Cohen's hands…

He was splicing again, Incinerate apparently…

"Did you need something sir?" He asked.

"Yes… we have something that needs to be discussed." Cohen walked past the painting and stood by the window. "Anna Culpepper."

Dallas felt his stomach flip. "What about her?"

"You've been seeing her." His voice was very quiet but it didn't hide the anger.

"Yes sir…"

"So, you don't deny it."

"N-no sir. She invited me out and I…"

Suddenly Cohen turned and grabbed him by his collar. "And you ran after that little trollop!" Dallas was frozen; fear paralyzed him as Cohen shook him. "Don't you SEE boy! She's using _you_ to get to _me_! She's trying to poison your mind with doubt!"

 _Turn it around; you've got to turn this around!_ "It wasn't like that sir, I-I was just- checking out the competition! I wanted to see what people saw in her, I'm sorry!"

Cohen stared at him; he seemed to be looking for the truth. "Is that so…" Dallas could see he wasn't convinced. "And what did you learn while you were 'checking out the competition'?"

Dallas swallowed. "She's nothing special, the people like her now because she's different, edgy. They see her as a rebel, but it's just a fad."

Cohen stared at him for a while, and then let him go, a satisfied smile crossing his face. "I see." Cohen seemed satisfied with his answer. "A fad." Cohen walked back to the canvas that, by now was almost entirely ashes on the floor. "Forgive me Dallas if I was a little… rough with you. These days it's harder to tell who your friends and enemies are…"

"That's alright sir, I didn't mean to worry you."

Cohen motioned for Dallas to come closer; as he did Cohen wrapped and arm around his shoulders. "I see great things ahead for you my boy. All you need do; is follow instruction. It won't be long before this city is freed from the parasites that infest it… the time will come when you will carry the torch that will draw the masses. Like a moth to the flame…"

Dallas frowned, but hid it from Cohen.

He didn't want to be a moth; he didn't want to be a torch…

It was then that he made his decision.

Dallas had finally scraped up the nerve he'd been looking for as he stood outside Cohen's apartment. He could hear the piano playing inside, stepping in; he saw Cohen with a young man.

"No no! That's not right! Once again."

"Yes sir, sorry sir."

The kid started playing again, as Cohen spotted him. "Dallas? What are you doing here?"

Dallas felt a lump in his throat. "Uh, sir, if you're not too busy… I wanted to tell you something…"

Cohen frowned. "I'm afraid I am a little pre-occupied. Young Fitzpatrick and I were about to leave for Fort Frolic, after practice. Perhaps it can wait?"

Dallas hadn't seen Cohen is such a good mood in ages, it reminded him of when he'd first met him… he nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Cohen smiled, placing a hand on Dallas' shoulder. "Go, enjoy yourself! It's a brand new year! 1959!"

Dallas nodded. "Right, you take care of yourself sir."

Cohen went back to Fitzpatrick and Dallas left the apartment. After about thirty minutes Cohen and the boy left his apartment. Dallas walked up to the door. He held an Accu-Vox he'd just bought, and after a few false starts he recorded a message for Cohen.

"Mr. Cohen… sir… I wanted to tell you about this in person but… but I didn't have the nerve. I want to thank you, first of all. You've done a lot for me, I wouldn't be where I am if not for you… but that's the problem. I don't want to be successful in Rapture because of what you can do. I want to be successful on my own merits. I'm sorry Mr. Cohen, I hope you'll understand."

Dallas placed the recorder by the door, as well as a box; inside was the suit Cohen had bought for his for his first performance. He felt uneasy leaving the tape behind for Cohen to find, but he convinced himself it was what he needed to do.

He didn't want to be Cohen's disciple or protégé; he wanted to be his equal. He would never forget Cohen, and he would always be grateful for his guidance. Dallas hoped that one day; he could look Cohen in the eye again…

It was that very night that a group at Atlas' rebels bombed the Kashmir restaurant. Most of Rapture was put into lockdown and Ryan made a call to action. Anyone who did not fight Atlas and his 'bandits' would be considered traitors to Rapture and thrown into Apollo Square, a newly formed, for lack of a better word, concentration camp.

Over the next few weeks; Rapture became a battle ground. The civil war that had been brewing for years had now boiled over. Rapture was reduced from a flawed paradise; to a hell.

Dallas had been trying to reach Culpepper for some time, but when she did not answer he went to check on her in person…

Dallas moved quickly through the streets, he was doing his best to stay out of sight. He passed Cohen's apartment... pausing for a moment before running to Culpepper's apartment. To his surprise, the door slid open… Dallas went inside scanning the room- when he heard a scream!

He ran into the bathroom and saw a man; he was standing over the bathtub holding Culpepper down under the water!

"NO!"

Dallas ran for him, he was going to rip the man away from her-

Suddenly, Dallas was blinded by a cloud of red smoke and is his moment of confusion; someone hit him…

When Dallas opened his eyes, he could barely see a thing. The light shining in from the windows was barely illuminating his surroundings… slowly his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he recognized where he was.

He tried to move, but he found he was tied to a chair, he tried to call for help, but he was gagged.

A flash of light and a red haze, from it Cohen materialized. "Welcome home."

Dallas struggled against the ropes as Cohen shook his head. "Forgive the mess; I've been very busy, too busy to keep the place tidy. I was preparing for your return…" Cohen stepped forward. "I had such high hopes for you… I had thought you were the man I had been searching for, the one who would rise above the others; my one true disciple…"

Cohen kneeled down, placing his hands on Dallas' face. "I _wanted_ it to be you! You had much promise, such potential!"

Cohen let him go and started to circle him. "I don't blame you Dallas, I blame myself. I failed to protect you, to warn you of that _woman_ and her lies. Therefore, I must share my half of the blame."

Cohen stopped walking; he was directly behind Dallas now. "You could have been great… but I'm afraid… you're just one more disappointment."

Suddenly Dallas felt something wrap around his neck, he tried to pull away but Cohen held onto him.

He jerked and twisted but he couldn't get free!

Cohen could feel the boy's body struggle as he squeezed the life from him, but it was inevitable. Slowly the boy began to give; a horrible sound came from the boy's throat.

"Shh…" He whispered. "Shhhh, it's almost over…"

And then it was done. The boy was dead.

Cohen released his throat, and then kneeled in front of him; he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. It was such a shame; the boy had such a handsome face…

Suddenly, he was hit by inspiration!

Cohen untied the body, laying it on the bed for now.

He needed to gather supplies…

When the job was done, Cohen paused to admire his work.

Dallas Byrdsong sat posed, wearing the suit Cohen had bought for his first performance. His body was covered from head to toe in plaster.

Cohen smiled, his fingers tracing the boys serene face.

Now he would never have to forget it.


End file.
